IMPORTANT NOTE: I started this series in response to a challenge: can I write a series of stories using all the most despised aspects of the otaku-daydream-wish fulfillment genre and make it interesting (failing that, at least readable). You gotta admit, that's asking a lot. Anyway, what you're getting here is the final fruit of that labor. Almost all characters portrayed in this fanfic are copyright of Rumiko Takahashi, Kitty Film, and anyone else who has enough money to sue my butt into oblivion. etc, etc, etc. Story and new characters Copyright to Greg Sandborn. Nabiki - New Horizons Part 1 - A Match Made On Wall Street by G.L. Sandborn The first day at a new school is always stressful; more so if that school is in a foreign country. Jeff Lawrence faced the daunting task of integrating himself into a Japanese high school after spending his entire academic life attending embassy schools. Born in London to an ambassadorial attache, Jeff moved to Japan at age 12 when his father was transferred. His mother insisted he attend only embassy schools to get the best American education possible. Still, Jeff felt something was missing. Here he was, 17 years old, living in a foreign country but attending American schools. Not that he was all that American to begin with. After all, he only visited his home land a few times, spoke with more of an English accent and used too many British and Japanese slang words to be easily understood by his own countrymen. His Japanese was quite good; the embassy staff saw to that. While he admitted he probably would never master kanji (few outsiders ever do), his grasp of hiragana and, to a lesser degree, katakana was quite admirable. Certain he had sufficient background for such a venture, he made plans to experience a regular public school once before departing to college. In truth, Jeff had a stronger motivation for his desires (no pun). There were simply no girls his age in the foreign legation community. Actually, that wasn't entirely true. There was one 16 year old girl over at the Russian embassy, but she scared the hell out of him. As far as the embassy schools were concerned, he was keenly aware that the only female near his age was a rather well stuffed 13 year old. Not much to look forward to; at least not if he wanted to stay out of jail. So there it was. Like a typical 17 year old male, he wanted to be around girls his own age and like a more mature person, he wanted to experience fully the academic environment of his host country. After much debate with his parents, highlighted by Jeff applying the unassailable argument that it would be like being a foreign exchange student while getting to come home every evening, they reluctantly agreed. At first, they held out for an international high school. But Jeff thought they were just English speaking Japanese-style schools with a lot of other foreigners enrolled. No, if he was going to subject himself to a Japanese school environment, it would be with a real Japanese school or nothing. By the early hours of the morning, it was finally settled that he would be allowed to attend the local high school in nearby Nerima to finish his senior year. Academically, he was far ahead of the average student; he had been taking college level courses for over a year. Socially, he was in for a rude awakening. It was a warm September morning, sunny and dry. The type of morning that could make even a reluctant student glad to be walking to school. With a sigh, Jeff Lawrence trudged alone down the street past the drainage ditch. Occasionally, a small group of students would pass him, glancing his way only out of curiosity. None ever initiated a greeting, although most returned his formally, but without conviction. Jeff never felt so alone. He was experiencing the ultimate paradox; isolation in a country of 125 million people. It couldn't have been because of his attire; he was wearing the correct school uniform, his mother had seen to that. He wasn't especially tall (barely six feet), or large (175 pounds admirably proportioned on his frame), or even oddly colored (his dark hair and deep tan made him visually similar). Perhaps, it was just that in such a homogenous society as Japan's outsiders easily stood out. Jeff was decidedly an outsider. Soon, the imposing facade of Furinkan Senior High School emerged from behind the many trees on the school grounds. Built in the late 50's, it represented the best of Japanese bureaucratic architecture; imposing, functional, and totally out of place next to all the neighborhood wood and stucco structures. The main tower held a clock that read 8:15. Plenty of time. He mused as he approached the school's main gate. Passing through the gate, he noticed a large number of male students dressed in all manner of sporting gear gathered in small groups in front of the building. He thought as he approached the front doors. For the most part, the crowd tended to ignore Jeff's presence. Occasionally, a person would look his way and mutter "gaijin". There it was. Gaijin, the most hated title in Japan. Used originally to describe any outsider, it now came to mean anyone from the outside who was undesirable. Jeff swallowed hard. This was what his father warned him about and what his mother feared. This was what he mentally prepared weeks for. Whatever happened, he told himself, he would control his temper. Nothing would provoke him in becoming an "ugly American" in this school, he vowed. That didn't last long. Distracted by the sight of a large number of attractive young coeds looking out of the upper floor windows, Jeff made his first, and almost fatal, mistake. He collided with an imposing male student dressed in a sword-man's traditional gear complete with super-loose trousers and a deadly looking bokkan. "Clumsy whelp!" The swordsman shouted as he spun around to face Jeff. "By the grace of the heavens. A filthy gaijin. Oh, what transgressions we must have committed for the gods to have delivered to us such a despicable form of life such as this." Jeff held his tongue but watched carefully the way this fellow waved his little wooden samurai sword around. It looked every bit as dangerous as it was. "What are you dressed for, you ugly monkey? Halloween is next month." Jeff muttered in English, secretly hoping no one understood the language well enough to translate the insult. Recovering himself, Jeff formally apologized for the incident and inquired the location of the main office. He even threw in a formal bow. All he got for his troubles was a round of laughter from the assembled males. Jeff scowled at the ground and pursed his lips. This was going to be tougher than he thought. "He knows our customs and speaks our language. I, Upperclassman Tatewaki Kuno, undefeated captain of the school's Kendo Team, rising star of the high school fencing world, think we should humor the gaijin as a reward." Kuno raised his bokkan and was immediately answered by a crash of thunder and bolt of lightning. Jeff raised one eyebrow and scanned the skies discreetly. From near the gate, someone yelled: They're coming!" and suddenly Jeff was no longer the center of attention. "The destination you seek is inside these doors and to your right. Now begone, I have other matters to attend to." With that Jeff felt sufficiently dismissed to start for the door again. Kuno's sword flat across his chest indicated otherwise. "But mark this well, gaijin, the vengeance of heaven is slow. Were it not for my preoccupation with a matter of great import on this autumn morn, I would provide you with an education unlike any other in the manners and respect due an upperclassman. Tatewaki Kuno will remember you." "You're too kind." Jeff responded while repeating to himself: Opening the door, he looked back over his shoulder and added: "Isn't it a little late in the day for pajamas, big guy?" With that, he slipped inside turning in time to catch Kuno's glare through the glass. The rest of the morning went fairly routinely, except for the commotion taking place out front. Jeff didn't get too good a look at what was going on but concluded that there must have been a dandy rumble between rival gangs to create such a stir. He filed away for future reference a warning to be careful of high school gangs. Jeff found himself in the same class as his earlier nemesis, Tatewaki Kuno, who spent the entire day glaring at him, and a couple of attractive young ladies; the most interesting among them, a bored looking young lady with short brown hair who always seemed to be the center of some kind of activity. Like a queen bee, she sat passively waiting as her little worker bees buzzed about, always returning to her desk with what looked like money and small slips of paper. Jeff fought the urge to find out if she was the local bookie or not. Their eyes met only once all day. Actually, they didn't meet, Jeff smiled and the lady looked right through him. Jeff thought as he returned to his English' book. "Is that the new student?" Sayuri whispered to her two compatriots. She and her friends watched as Jeff Lawrence slipped quietly into the class room. He selected a fairly neutral desk away from the windows and flashed a friendly grin their direction. "Hmmm. Not bad for a gaijin." Yuka remarked as she swept her long hair clear of one ear. "Think he's wealthy?" "Aren't all Americans?" chided Sayuri with a giggle. Nabiki, in her characteristic pose; seated at her desk, her head supported on her hand, eyed the stranger critically through half open eyes. "In any case, I think he deserves a checkout." At lunch, Jeff quickly discovered just how much of an outsider he was. Despite the traditional Japanese affinity for being good hosts. Meal time was an exception. No one would allow him to join them, not even the girls. Especially, the girls. They would look at him with blank expressions, then break into giggly conversation, obviously, at his expense. Jeff wound up balancing on a curb while he ate. Still, he was able to catch some of the school gossip by eavesdropping on the various conversations that surrounded him. The most common theme was about how Kuno jumped out of a third floor window yesterday chasing some character that got too close to his girl. Jeff made another mental note to find out who this chick was and avoid her like the plague. The last thing he needed was a stick wielding wacko chasing him around for saying hi' to the wrong girl. The rest of the day went quietly, or at least sufferably. Still, this was quite different than he imagined. He had made no friends or even acquaintances. The teachers were cold and remote; certainly nothing like the embassy teachers he was used to. Jeff was beginning to have second thoughts about this whole Japanese public school thing when he made a major breakthrough. Another student, judging by his attire an equal outsider', actually said 'hi' to him. What's more, they even enjoyed a short conversation. True, it was mostly about that 'baka' Kuno, but under the circumstances, any conversation was worth it's weight in gold. Much to Jeff's dismay, just after the two went their separate ways, he discovered that he forgot to find out just who he was talking to. Jeff chastised himself. At least he didn't run into Kuno a second time. One encounter with Mr. Blue Thunder was enough for the first day. Arriving home Jeff dropped his book bag on the hall chair and slipped into the kitchen to see what was available, his lunch having been abbreviated by the length of his search for a place to sit. "How was school, dear" His mother asked while reviewing the guest list for some embassy function. "Well..... I didn't get killed, I understood most of what was said, and I failed to connect with any of the girls in my class. All things considered, it was a wash." Jeff snuck a few cookies from the cookie jar to go with his glass of milk. "That's nice dear." his mom droned. She was so out of it when it came to his activities. Not that she was a bad mother or anything. It's just that she was constantly being asked to assume more and more of the day-to-day operations of the embassy to the point where she was running almost as hard as his father was trying to keep up. "Where's dad?" Jeff asked, certain he wasn't going to like the answer. "Somewhere down in Kure, dear. Something to do with a cultural exchange. He'll be back by Friday." Jeff thought as he swallowed the last cookie. "I'm goin to practice now, mom. I'll be back by 10" "Have fun dear." Jeff wondered just how much she actually heard. With an audible sigh, Jeff went up to his room to change. He didn't want to be late to his kempo practice. Sensi Tendo would be particularly hard on him if he was late. Not that he ever let Jeff coast through practice anyway. Practice for Jeff was always a painful experience. For five years in England, he was trained by an old shinobi master in the way of his people. Shinobi were master shadow warriors, ninjas in the West. Jeff never knew exactly why he wound up with Master Sato, he always assumed it was something his parents wanted him to do. As a child, he rarely rebelled against the decisions of his parents. In time, it became his desire as well. Master Sato insisted that warrior training that does not face actual danger is not true warrior training at all, but merely a desire to play at being bold. In England, Jeff faced things that would have horrified his parents, had they known. In spite of all this, his training was incomplete. Conquering his fear was the first goal of ninjutsu training. Guile and deception was the second. He was still working on the fighting part. Kempo? The Tendo school? He had no idea why kempo at the Tendo school either. It was just where he wound up. The embassy security office had picked the Tendo school (at least, Jeff assumed so); they did that only after carefully checking for the safety of the dependents. Kids hobbies were encouraged to give them a sense of continuity, making their relocation easier. Jeff was simply another dependent with a hobby. Why Sensi Tendo would take such a student as Jeff is buried in the Japanese Gordian knot of reciprocal obligations. Strange, how Jeff never made the connection between Nabiki Tendo and the Tendo Martial Arts Dojo. Especially, since she lived on the grounds of the dojo itself. Perhaps it was because Tendo was a common clan name, like 'Smith' in the U.S. and he never actually saw any members of the family on the grounds with one exception. Jeff had been coming to the Tendo Dojo once a week, for almost 5 years and only encountered one other member of the Tendo family, a little dark haired stick of dynamite called Akane. Jeff rubbed the spot on his chest when he remembered how almost a year ago he asked the lovely young Akane to go out for a soda or something after practice and she kicked him across the room. After that, she never worked out the same times as Jeff. Much to his relief. Nabiki called her usual sources of information and was most disappointed in the results. "What do you mean, you can't find anything on him?" Nabiki shouted incredulously into the phone. "That's impossible! Everyone has a financial trail." "My feet are not big!" came Akane's voice from her room down the hall. "Well, they're big for a girl." The sound of Ranma arguing with Akane barely distracted Nabiki any more. But the sounds of a growing fight in Akane's room was not helping her disposition. The voice at the other end of the line confirmed that they were unable to find anything on Jeff Lawrence. His father, yes, but nothing on Jeff himself. And there were no other living relatives on his branch of his family tree. In short, there was Jeff, a low paid government employee father, and a void thereafter. The voice went on to ask if she wanted them to check for dead relatives. "Are you nuts!" she yelled, clearly irritated at the suggestion. "What kind of ghoul do you take me for? If he had gotten any money from dead relatives it would be obvious in his own record. Honestly, I sometimes wonder just how you people stay in business." Nabiki hung up the phone totally confused. she repeated to herself several times. "Nabiki-chan, if you're done with the phone, could I borrow it for a moment?" Akane asked as she stepped out of her room. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead." "Thanks." Akane took the phone from her sister and disappeared back into her room. Nabiki thought to her self. The idea gave her a warm, satisfied feeling. Above all else, she wanted to be rich. Sure, she valued a guy's looks and personality too, but his net worth or potential worth were clearly the deciding factor. She had contacts in all the financial institutions in Japan that could dig out a boy's net worth in a matter of minutes or project his potential earnings in a few more. This was the first time she failed on all counts. she chided herself. Nabiki carefully ran through her sources in her mind and found no immediate gaps. Nabiki went down stairs to the sounds of someone being beaten with a phone. As usual, Sensi Tendo worked Jeff to the breaking point. What was quite out of the ordinary was how Jeff showed just enough ineptness to frustrate his sensi. Still, it was uncanny how the guy knew just how far he could push a student before letting up. This evening there was another man in the dojo the same age as Sensi Tendo. All evening long, he just sat on his heels in the corner of the room watching Jeff's every move. Jeff didn't especially like being watched, it made him nervous and this guy made him exceptionally nervous. He had all the air of a master of the arts, and looked the part too. Big and burly, with little wire rimmed glassed secured to his face with, what looked like, rubber bands. For three hours, he never moved as Jeff went through drill after drill. Not even the sound of someone being thrown out of a second floor window at the residence had the slightest affect on him. In frustration, Sensi Tendo halted a drill. With his back to the stranger, he formed a shinobi sign of questioning. Jeff shifted his eyes quickly to the stranger then back to his sensi. Soun Tendo immediately understood and class resumed. [Stranger present. Conceal, deceive, evade.] At the end of the evening, Jeff made sure to acknowledge the other man's presence by bowing politely before leaving. To Jeff's relief, the man responded from his kneeling position. "A moment Jeff-san," Tendo-sensi said looking at the other man. "I want to introduce you to an old friend of mine, Genma Saotome." Jeff bowed respectfully and added: "The honor is mine, sensi." For the first time the stranger spoke: "How do you know I am a teacher of martial arts?" Jeff smiled slightly. Personal observation had long been a strong suit of his. Often he could pick out the most important person at an embassy affair or meeting by simply watching them. His father said it was valuable gift that would serve him will in the diplomatic corps (not that he ever really wanted anything to do with the diplomatic corps). He could also detect weaknesses in opponents whether on the athletic field or in a poker game and often used it to his advantage. He couldn't explain how he did it. But then, many of the things Jeff acquired from Master Sato were beyond explanation. "Your kai, sensi" Jeff lied quietly. [Reveal nothing, observe everything.] "You have an aura of complete control of your environment. Ichi masu, the first law, ne?" Jeff instinctively quoted something he had learned from old Master Sato in England. He almost regretted having said it when he noticed the looks Saotome and Tendo exchanged. "You quote a venerable book, young one." Mr. Saotome said with a hard look. Mr. Tendo chuckled lightly causing Mr. Saotome to shoot him a questioning look. "Perhaps I should explain. Lawrence-san reads too much. He came to me with his head filled with stories of shadow warriors and samurai. He has yet to learn the path of a true martial artist. As a favor to an old friend, I have been teaching him traditional kempo." "It would appear you need a more challenging workout, boy." Mr. Saotome said, a stern look crossing his face. For some reason, Sensi Tendo slowly stepped aside. he thought. Part of Jeff's ability to detect emotions allowed him to sense danger and his mind was positively screaming warnings now. As Mr. Saotome's eyes once again fixed on the young American, Jeff got the uncomfortable feeling that he was about to be tested in a most unpleasant manner. Like a cat, Mr. Saotome sprung at the young student, a sharp cry announcing the fingers of his right hand aimed for a most vulnerable area, Jeff's throat. Without thinking, Jeff dropped, shifted his weight, and using his opponents momentum against him, whipped the older man across the room as easily as if he were a rag doll; a fairly basic move any first year student could easily accomplish. Mr. Saotome rolled upon landing and immediately launched a flying kick at Jeff's head. Jeff, assuming a typical ninjutsu fighting pose, had expected such a follow up but not this fast. It had been long time since Jeff had been in a real fight. So long that he had forgotten just how fast things can happen. This time, he waited too long. The first blow caused him to see stars. The second sent him spinning across the dojo, ending flat on his back. Jeff thought as his vision cleared. Apparently, Mr. Saotome wasn't finished with Jeff. "Whoa, Jesus!!" Jeff muttered as he rolled out of the way of a follow up attack, aimed at the spot where Jeff was laying. As fights go, he was clearly on the defensive and running for his life. Jeff's mind was rapidly slipping into disorganized panic. It was then he remembered Mr. Sato's words: Fear and panic are a shadow warrior's greatest allies and his worst enemies. Embrace them as your allies and your power will be magnified.' Two more complicated attacks, two more skillful deflections and Jeff was able to escape to just in front of the open panels leading to the garden. For the moment, he had established his ability to fight Genma Saotome to a standstill. [When victory is without reward, stalemate is acceptable.] The defeat of Mr. Saotome would accomplish nothing positive. Jeff switched to plan B; get Sensi Tendo involved. [Allies come in many forms; all should be used.] Jeff slid back towards the door slightly and closer to Soun Tendo. This would take precise timing to make it look right. Assuming an almost laughably inept looking pose, Jeff calmly awaited Genma Saotome's next attack. When it came, Jeff's preparation had the desired effect. To anyone watching, Jeff looked like an easy kill. Soun Tendo must have agreed. As Genma's jump kick attack began, he reached out faster than the eye could follow and, grabbing Jeff's collar, yanked him out of the way. Jeff landed in a heap on the floor. Mr Saotome, startled by the sudden displacement of his opponent, missed badly. Now out of control, his momentum aided by a swift kick from Soun Tendo, Genma passed through the open panel, over the balcony and landed with a tremendous splash in the koi pond. "I always wanted to do that," Mr. Tendo mumbled then turned to Jeff. "I believe that is enough for tonight, young warrior. You...did well." He was obviously looking for something positive to say, especially about the last action. In his mind, Jeff was caught cold turkey and would have been spattered all over his dojo had he not pulled the young student out of harm's way. In truth, all went according to Jeff's plan. Jeff knew Sensi Tendo wouldn't allow anything to happen to him. He also knew defeating Genma Saotome would be pointless and possibly dangerous. His solution was to simply allow himself to be yanked out of the fight by his sensi. The part about the koi pond was a bonus. However, to Soun Tendo, the class was clearly not over. "A trained martial artist would never have allowed himself to be so exposed as your last position. I am curious. Why?" "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time?" Jeff was being evasive but honest. Mr. Tendo just sighed and placed a hand over his face, probably to cover his frustrated embarrassment, then excused himself to see to Mr. Saotome. Jeff bowed deeply to his sensi. Like all shinobi warriors, he gave a silent prayer of thanks for coming away with his life. As he packed his things, he thought back to old Master Sato in England. He remembered how the man could simply 'appear', as if out of nowhere. Maybe the old man really was a master of the ancient arts. Maybe he was telling the truth about the ancient shinobi clans. Maybe there was something to all the American Ninja talk. "Ninja's," Jeff spit out the word. "Another Hollywood invention. Good grief." Still, he fondly recalled his sessions with Master Sato. He never knew why, exactly, that he wound up being taught by such a strange little old man. He knew the embassy had something to do with it; only schools trusted by the embassy security office could teach American dependents. Whatever the case, Jeff was totally unprepared for what he was to undergo. Quickly, and sometimes brutally, his childhood was stripped from him. In five years he was subjected to rigorous spiritual training sessions with Master Sato, usually followed by long tales from ancient Japan. Most were interesting, some were boring, but all related a great deed performed by an ancient shinobi master and contained some pearl of wisdom. The part of his training he seemed to excel at was throwing things; shuriken, caltrops, even the tanto. Being somewhat of a loner, he had lots of time to practice. In England, he developed a bad habit of haunting the family pubs, winning shillings from strangers by playing darts. He was good at it. Good enough for people to start betting on the outcome of some of his matches. Sometimes, the gambling that surrounded his matches would exceed the weekly salary of the average better. Even under such pressure, he continued to win easily. It was good fun, until word got out and his opponents dried up. Still, he had made a lot of spare change in the process. He also was, for the first time in his life, the center of popular attention. Unlike at school or home, where he was just another warm body or in town where he was a 'damn Yank' responsible for every misfortune in the region, in the pubs he was a star. Unfortunately, Master Sato quickly put a stop to all that. Jeff was being trained as a shinobi. Not, as an entertainer. He would have to demonstrate better control if he wished to continue. Typically, Jeff complied. He thought back to the last night in England when Master Sato made him a member of his shinobi clan, not a shadow warrior (he was clearly not ready for that), but a member of the old man's noble family. It was like being adopted. Jeff still wore the clan symbol on a chain around his neck, an honor he never sought nor felt qualified to hold. Nevertheless, it was something he was determined never to disgrace. In spite of all this, Jeff still harbored reservations. He knew of all the Western stories about ninjas, how they were night stalkers and assassins. Hollywood never treated the shinobi warriors with much respect, but then they never seemed to treat anyone with much respect. "Not me." he repeated out loud. "I may be a lot of things, but a midnight assassin is not one of them." Pulling out a 6 inch long shuriken shaped like a common pencil from his bag, he twirled it with his finger tips as he looked around the dojo. He especially liked the shuriken. He used to practice for hours throwing from different positions, inventing little games to amuse himself, until his aim was deadly. His eye caught on a white paper fan mounted on one of the dojo's vertical beams about 20 feet away. In the middle of the fan was a red rising sun the size of a quarter. Jeff smiled slightly. With practiced skill, he dropped to one knee and flung his projectile at the target. Almost faster than the eye could follow, the deadly metal object flew straight and true imbedding itself in the exact center of the red dot. he thought to himself with a satisfied grin. Jeff's evening did not go unobserved. Outside, peeking through a back window, was an interested bystander. Nabiki Tendo had taken an interest in this strange gaijin. She didn't know it yet, but he represented the key to an old family mystery. When she was getting started in the snooping and spying business, she checked into her mother's background. What she found almost made her give up snooping forever. Her mother had come to live with her relatives when very young; this much they all knew. It was where she came from that was most startling. Her mother was from an ancient mountain family well known for their shadow warrior connections. In Japan, shinobi shadow warriors, or Ninjas, were no invention of overactive imaginations. They were legendary in their skills at fighting, deception, and guile. Myths upon myths grew around the truth about the shadow warriors, like moss on a rock, until their perceived powers far exceeded their real ones. Of course, the shinobi were content to let the myths grow; it only increased their power and prestige. If her mother was really part of a shinobi clan, it would explain a lot. It would explain why her father, who had given up teaching upon the death of his wife, would return to the dojo with a new student. Only one thing could compel him to do so; a shinobi clan obligation. That would also explain Jeff Lawrence. Somehow, he was mixed up in this shinobi clan business. How, she didn't know; but was determined to find out. She normally avoided the dojo as she had no interest in martial arts. But Jeff's presence drew her to her concealed position to get a better look at this fellow who had no financial trail and who just happened to be drawn to the Tendo Dojo and her father. She had watched him practice. She saw the fight. Finally, she saw his little act with the shuriken. Nabiki knew of the shinobi abilities at deception. They were masters at concealing their true identities. Maybe... Nabiki was closer to the truth than she knew. She was about to leave her concealed location when Jeff pulled off his gi jacket. she thought as she took a quick visual tour of his muscular body. Financial whiz or not, she *was* 17 and appreciated a good male form as well as anyone. She watched his muscles flex as he toweled off. However, to her disappointment, he only donned a scarlet, light weight t-shirt that read: USMC - When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be Killed Overnight', packed his bag and started to leave. With a satisfied grunt, Jeff slung his bag over his shoulder, left the dojo and sauntered towards the main gate. He knew he was being watched. He knew he was being followed. He also knew, that she was no danger to him at all. A small smile creased his face as made his way to the gate. he mused. He wasn't far from the gate when a movement near the side of the Tendo residence caught his eye. It was dark and there were many shadows, but he could have sworn he saw a large black and white animal crawl over the engawa and into the house. he thought as he exited the main gate. When Jeff got home, he found his mother waiting up for him along with a man Jeff recognized as an embassy legal counsel. Dropping his bag on the hall chair, he walked warily into the living room. "Jeff, dear," his mother said quietly. "This is Mr. Wollenberg from the embassy." She indicated the distinguished looking man standing next to her. "Something wrong?" Jeff asked trying to appear calm and unconcerned. "Nothing's wrong, young man." The lawyer replied. "In fact, you might be pleased with my visit. Won't you sit down?" The lawyer occupied a large chair across from the sofa where Jeff and his mother nervously sat, waiting. He dug through his brief case for a few moments before producing a large file of papers, many with official looking seals. Adjusting his glasses he looked at the Lawrences and smiled. Jeff never liked it when a lawyer smiled. This one made him more nervous than Mr. Saotome. "I have here the final will and testament of Ronald and Ruth Phillips." He said looking through the pages for something. "Phillips?" Jeff looked at his mother. "Your grandparents, dear." Jeff's mom added, a hand on her son's arm. "They died ten years ago when you were very little." "Dad's parents, right?" Jeff asked. He didn't really remember much about them other than they were nice to him when they visited and always brought him nice presents. Mrs. Lawrence nodded and smiled. "As you probably know, your father was the product of a previous marriage. By the time his mother remarried, he was in college and didn't want to change his name. Hence, our different family name." "I won't bore you with all the legal mumbo-jumbo," the lawyer began. "In accordance with the provisions of the will, Mr. Jeffrey Lawrence will assume control of all the assets, investments, and holdings of the estate of Ronald and Ruth Phillips on his 18th birthday; some 8 months hence." Jeff sat stunned and frantically searched for a reason why *he* would receive such a windfall, not his father. "Why me?" he finally asked. "I can answer that." his mom replied. "Your father's step-father never understood your father's refusal to follow his path." she paused with a soft sigh. "As an only child, they hoped he would take an interest in his step-father's profession but he, instead, chose to follow his late father's academic calling and became a professor." She hesitated again, looking for the right words to continue. "Your father felt that it was... wrong for one person to have all that money and financial power." "He thought making money was wrong?" Jeff looked at the lawyer who just shrugged his shoulders. "What a bizarre concept." "Anyway, your grandparents were very disappointed." she paused again with a sad smile. "When you were born, they naturally took steps to assure you would be the one to carry on. I guess they saw it as an obligation." Her eyes glistened with moisture. "With your father gone so much of the time, I made the decision to let it happen. Everything you have been through since you were 5 years old has been at their direction. The schooling you received, the trips you took,..." "Even Master Sato?" "Especially Master Sato. You were the repayment of a very great debt Mr. Sato's family owed your grandfather." Jeff stopped his mother right there. Casting a quick glance at the lawyer, he asked if he could be excused for a few moments. Mrs. Lawrence, catching Jeff's meaning, asked the lawyer if he would like some good English tea. The lawyer just smiled and nodded as Jeff and his mother retired to the kitchen. Closing the door, Jeff asked: "Now, what's all this about Master Sato?" Jeff listened carefully as his mother told him the story of how his grandfather, an Army Intelligence officer during the war, had befriended Mr. Sato's village just after the war, providing them with food, medicine and help rebuilding and planting the next rice crop. He was especially interested in how his grandfather kept Mr. Sato, a former Japanese Army officer, and many other members of the village, out of the war crimes trials. Naturally, all this carried a heavy price in Japanese obligated reciprocality. His grandfather learned of Mr. Sato's shinobi clan position and named only the teaching of one of his offspring the way of the shadow warrior as repayment. As Jeff's father had no interest in such things, Jeff became the logical choice. Mr. Sato even came all the way to England to fulfill his obligation and then went one step further, making Jeff a member of his own clan; an honor unheard of for a gaijin'. "But mother, I never finished the training." "I know, dear." she said quietly. "That was your father's doing, I'm afraid. He didn't hold with all this shinobi' business. That's why we transferred." She paused again, a genuinely sad look came over her face. "It was the first serious fight we ever had." Jeff, naturally, was uncomfortable with the thought of his parents fighting over anything. Their fighting over him was especially unsettling. "Ironic, isn't it." Jeff observed. "We left England to get away from Master Sato and the State Department sends us to Japan." Jeff's mom looked at him for a long time. He got the feeling she wanted to tell him something very important but couldn't. Jeff didn't press the issue. "Your father really does love you, Jeff. It just doesn't always show." Jeff had never been particularly close to his father. He now knew why. For a few minutes, only the ticking of a wall clock broke the silence. "We better get back." his mother suggested as she stood up to leave. "Mom," Jeff said, stopping in the doorway. "The tea." She quickly prepared the lawyer's tea and the two returned to the living room. Back on the sofa, the meeting resumed. "How much are we talking, here?" Jeff finally asked. The lawyer flipped through a few other pages before answering. "Oh...It's hard to say exactly. Certainly in the hundreds of millions of dollars. It's really hard to put an exact figure on it because so much is tied up in the net worth of so many companies. I can try to get a more precise accounting for you if you wish?" Jeff thought. "Mom, this could all become...difficult for me. If word of this were to get out..." he paused searching for the right words. "I know, honey." she said resting her hand on his. "We tried to talk you out of this Japanese high school thing of yours. We know you only wanted a regular high school experience with regular kids... and to meet girls your own age." Jeff just looked at the floor. It was true, of course, but embarrassing stated out loud. "Perhaps, its not too late to enroll in a nice international high school. At least there you'll meet nice young girls who aren't Japanese or who are Japanese and have traveled abroad enough that they have adopted Western values." "I hate to quit just yet." Jeff said looking at the floor. "I mean, today I actually made a friend (I think)." "Well, we'll let it go until semester. If things are still difficult for you then, we'll transfer you to St. Mary's or American International or something." "As for word of all this getting out," the lawyer said. "Not to worry, young man. Everything is currently listed by proxy; sort of a blind trust. Until you turn 18, the only way anyone could find out would be to see the will itself." He smiled. "And I have ways of preventing that." Jeff didn't remember much of the rest of the meeting. He was lost in his own thoughts. Jeff had trouble falling asleep that night, his mind was working overtime. He had to be careful from now on. The lawyer would do his job and the inheritance would be safely shielded from prying eyes but Jeff would have to be on his toes. One slip and the word would get out. He has to continue looking like a poor son of a embassy staff member. Otherwise, he could kiss goodbye any chance of finding a girl who loved him for himself. Not that he had anyone in mind. Heck, he didn't even have any prospects. On that depressing thought, he drifted off to sleep. Nabiki was working late on the family books. She had taken her bath and was dressed in her pajamas; she always worked numbers better in her pajamas. she thought when she finished balancing the books. She was referring to a pair of strange checks she was holding. Every month she would receive mysterious checks for deposit in the family account. The first was drawn on a large Tokyo bank, without notation as to just what investment account it was for. When she asked her father, he just said it was the monthly stipend from his late wife's inheritance. Upon closer examination, it appeared to be exactly that, money from an account with her mother's name on it. With no way of checking further, she simply accepted the deposits without comment. The second set of mysterious checks began arriving the same time this Jeff fellow started working out at the dojo. These were from a different bank in Tokyo. Again, no notation as to where they were from or why. This time, her father just laughed and noted that they were a repayment of an old debt the person couldn't pay for a long time. Now that he is wealthy, he can afford repayment. Their anonymous nature is because he wishes to remain just so; nameless. Again, they appeared to be exactly what her father said they were, legitimate repayments of a debt. Still, she thought it odd that no one at the bank could (or would) provide her with a name to go with the account. All they would tell her was the account's number; something anyone could have gotten simply by looking at the check. Together they made up a sizeable chunk of the family's living expenses. That brought up another point; taxes. She had never received a tax bill from the government. Considering the size and location of the Tendo property in Nerima, such a bill must have been sizeable. When she inquired about this with her father, he simply told her 'It was taken care of.' She knew he wouldn't tell her how, even if she asked and trying to search for anything financial through the government would be a lost cause. Nabiki had learned long ago that there were some things in the family's books that were simply unexplainable. she sighed. The next day at school, Jeff missed the commotion out front again. He was quietly reading at his desk, twirling a pencil in his fingers; one minute surrounded by dozens of milling students and the next he was totally alone as everyone had gathered at the windows to watch the front lawn activities. By the time Jeff pushed his way through the crowd at a window, all he saw were a bunch of beat up students in various athletic garb being assisted by their fellow students. He listened to the conversations but couldn't make heads or tails of them. "They were just mowed down." one girl said. "You'd think they'd have learned by now." another replied. "Those guys are going about this the wrong way." offered one fellow. "More coordination, that's the ticket." his companion answered. None of this made any sense to Jeff and he was left further in the dark than before. Between classes, Nabiki actually talked to him like one of the other students. She wasn't getting familiar with him, just getting to know more about him personally. Most of her questions were cleverly worded to sound like an interested acquaintance but were actually probes to find out the really important stuff; like how much he was worth. If she was expecting to easily beat Jeff at a battle of wits, she was going to be in for a disappointment. He was easily her match in that arena. Still, the more she talked to him the more interesting he became. She even started thinking about what he would be like on a date. Yuka, the bolder of Nabiki's two cohorts, playfully squeezed Jeff's left bicep. Since the day he moved to Japan, one of the things his embassy Marine friends made him do was lift weights. Five years of lifting had the positive effect Yuka was currently admiring. "Ooooh." she cooed. "Guys, you gotta feel this." She squeezed his arm a few more times. Sayuri quickly joined in on the other arm. They giggled and made faces at each other. For some reason, this irritated Nabiki. "Okay, break it up. Don't you girls have some collections to make?" Yuka and Sayuri scurried away giggling to make their rounds. "I'm sorry about that." Nabiki dead panned. "They're really very nice, once you get to know them." Jeff just shrugged. "And you?" Nabiki looked at Jeff through narrowed eyes. She wasn't sure but it sounded almost like a proposition. She didn't like propositions, especially those with no profit in them. Both stood awkwardly in silence until the bell rang for the next class. Each smiled a little embarrassedly and returned to their desks. Jeff thought sitting down. Nabiki just sat at her desk, resting her chin in her hand, with a far off look on her face. She was still seeing Jeff in the dojo with his shirt off. Noon found Jeff facing the usual problem of where to sit for lunch. The boys shooed him away from their tables and the girls went through their usual giggling act. At the farthest table, a lone figure sat alone hunkered over. He looked familiar. Jeff happily thought as he wound his way through the crowd. "Hey, stranger. Mind if I joined you?" Jeff asked with a smile. The stranger lifted his eyes slowly. "Why not?" and responded by shifting his position slightly. Jeff sat down and began eating quietly. "By the way, I forgot to introduce myself yesterday, my name is Jeff Lawrence." Jeff extended his hand across the table to his new friend. "Yeah, I know who you are. I'm Ranma Saotome." The stranger, eyeing Jeff's tray, avoided the handshake. "Saotome?" Jeff said shyly withdrawing his hand. "Are you related to Genma Saotome, by any chance?" "He's my old man." came the almost embarrassed response. "I've seen you working out. Take my advice, don't get in any fights." Jeff just gave a little smile and looked down at his tray. "By the way," Ranma pursued. "What really happened last night?" "Your dad was chasing me around the dojo, Sensi Tendo pulled me out of the way and your father wound up in the koi pond" Jeff added biting into a small rice ball. Ranma snickered slightly, linked his hands behind his head, leaned back and muttered: "So *that's* what happened. I thought he'd been drinking again." "I hope he's all right." Jeff added with genuine concern in his voice. "Don't worry about him. I've dunked him hundreds of times. He seems to enjoy it." Ranma chuckled. "Odd thing though" Jeff added, picking out the bits of pork from his entre. "The Tendo's certainly have some strange pets." "What makes you say that?" "I thought I saw a large panda climb into the house as I was leaving." Ranma just grinned broadly. "He sure is." "Huh?" "Never mind." Jeff offered him some of his lunch, saying that he always took more than he could eat (an American weakness, he suggested). Ranma quickly finished the noodles and chugged the can of soda before Jeff could pick up his chop sticks again. All things considered, it was turning out to be the kind of day Jeff had envisioned when he first enrolled at Furinkan High School. He might go hungry but felt confident he had broken through the 'gaijin' barrier. He almost blew it with the next line of conversation. "By the way, I heard a rumor about you being engaged to some girl." Ranma's face clearly showed despair. "It's not my fault. My father arranged it. I'm engaged to a... a... uncute, unfeminine, baka tomboy!" "Bummer." Was all Jeff could add. "And every morning before school, she fights half the male student body along with that fool Kuno for the honor of a date." "I've only been in Japan for a few years, but is that, like, normal? For an engaged girl, I mean." "Only for her." "And this happens every morning?" "EVERY morning!" "Don't you help her? You're her fiance." "Hah! If I try, she goes after me as well. And *I* don't even want to date her!" "Well, you're engaged to her. Dating kind of goes with the territory. Maybe she just gets excited." "She's crazy, baka, always looking for ways to hurt me." "Sounds like true love to me." Jeff was being sarcastic here but Ranma seemed to miss it completely. "Not you to." Ranma slammed his elbow on the table and plopped a cheek onto his fist. "Well, at least you can get away from her after school." "No way. We're living with her family." Jeff thought, trying to imagine being engaged to a girl and living in her house. Such a situation was rife hormonal with possibilities. "I hate it." Ranma moaned, slamming his forehead hard enough on the table to attract the attention of nearby tables. Jeff watched, along with a couple dozen other students, as Ranma banged his forehead hard enough to cause the table to crack. "Ahhh, big test today." Jeff said with a sheepish grin to those staring at Ranma repeatedly banging his head on the table. Most just gave knowing smiles before returning to their own lunches. "So she beats up dozens of guys every morning, right out front." Jeff said trying to change the subject; if only to save the table. "I told you..." Ranma said, interrupting his head banging. *This* I gotta see." "Tomorrow morning. 8:15. Just don't get too close." During his last hour class, a research period, Jeff trotted up to the library for some light reading. He had developed a taste for Japanese manga and was anxious to read the latest edition of 'Lum' he had purchased. Just outside the library, he encountered three upperclass members of the Kendo team; all associates of Tatawaki Kuno. "Scram, baka gaijin!" one growled taking a martial stance. The other two closed ranks and helped block the library entrance. Jeff's irritation gauge immediately red lined. His training had taught him when to fight. It had also taught him when to walk away. He looked each in the eyes and saw their determination. He also saw their fear. They might just carry through with their threat but their fear would limit their effectiveness. In short, they could be beaten. Once again, Jeff's ability to 'read' his opponents gave him the edge. "Well, well, if it isn't Larry, Curly and Moe. I hate to break this to you but the library doesn't stock coloring books." "Leave now, gaijin!" Jeff remembered another of Master Sato's wise sayings: 'Never spoil a good day by getting the crap beat out of you.' or something like that. Conflict in this setting would be unwise. At least a victory here would gain him nothing. Besides, there was always a chance he could lose. With a good cleansing breath, he turned on a heel and quietly walked away. "Wise choice, gaijin." The tree toughs laughed, clearly savoring their 'victory'. Jeff did a quick search for a substitute place to read and soon found himself in front of the PE Equipment Storage Room. He thought opening the door. He was right, only the far off sounds of normal school activities disturbed the tranquility of his location. Making a lounge type chair with a few tumbling mats, Jeff settled down in a pool of sunlight to some serious reading; even if it was only manga. His peaceful respite was interrupted by the room's door suddenly opening and slamming shut. Jeff peered around a pile of mats to see a red haired girl, dripping wet, wearing a familiar looking red and black outfit gasping for breath. "Hello?" "Oh, Jeff-san." the girl responded. "Can I hide in here for a few minutes?" "Uh, sure." Jeff said standing up. "Who *are* you, anyway?" The girl quickly glanced down at the front of her and back at Jeff. "Oh no" she groaned as her shoulders sagged. "Oh no, what?" Jeff was genuinely confused. "Do I know you?" With a sigh, she quietly said: "I...I guess so... I'm... Ranma Saotome..." Then mumbled: "Sorry about this." There was a very pregnant pause as Jeff looked the dripping girl up and down. he mused. "Of course, you are." Jeff chuckled with realization, then shouted at the door: "Very funny Saotome. Tossing a girl in on me wearing your clothes. Ha Ha, very well done but I'm not falling for it." "Shush, you want some one to hear you?" she pleaded waving her arms like a bird trying to take off. "It's really ME Ranma." "Yeah, sure sweetie and I'm Astro Boy." Jeff was starting to lose interest in this game as he turned to sit back down. "Look. I know this looks strange but you gotta believe me." Maybe it was the voice pattern. Maybe it was Jeff's ability to read people. Maybe he was just turned on by a damp babe in a too tight top. Whatever the reason, Jeff paused to consider. "OK...If you're really Ranma Saotome, what did I say I saw climbing into the Tendo house last night?" "My dad, after an encounter with the koi pond." She said with a degree of resignation. "HA! Got ya! It wasn't Mr. Saotome, it was a panda." Then yelling at the door again: "Hear that Saotome, you need to prep her better than this!" "That panda *was* my father. He turns into a panda every time he gets doused with cold water. Just like *I* turn into this...*girl* when I get wet." Ranma sighed. He really hated this story. Jeff stood there stunned, taking another visual tour. "How's that...?" "We fell into some cursed pool a few months ago while on a training mission in China. Ever since, we have this little... problem whenever we get wet!" Jeff thought for a few minutes, eyeing Ranma critically. Master Sato used to tell him stories about strange, mystical things that happened in the orient. But Jeff always chalked them up to an old man entertaining an impressionable young boy. Maybe, there *was* something to his stories. Leaning forward, Jeff looked closely at Ranma. "Are those real?" he said poking her breasts. If it was really Ranma, he wouldn't mind the touching. If it was some girl, as he suspected, she wasn't going to blow the joke by slapping Jeff silly. "Yes, they're real." She said embarrassedly, then added quietly: "I wish you wouldn't do that." Jeff leaned back against a vaulting horse and crossed his arms. "And very nice they are, too. Tell me, how'd you shrink six inches? And your voice... Does Hugh Hefner know of this place? Lot of money to be made there. Think of it, just round up a bunch of out of work actors, dunk em in this pond and bingo you got Miss May, June and July." "Are you finished?" Ranma asked. "You know, I've been having trouble lining up someone for next week's school dance. I don't suppose..." Ranma's low growl and narrowed eyes suggested this line of inquiry was closed. "I guess not. So, are you, like, stuck like this?" Jeff said waiving a hand at Ranma's shapely form. "Only until I can get some hot water." "Hot water?" "Yeah, its the only way." Ranma said squeezing the water out of her top. "I don't suppose you could...you know. I don't exactly want to go prancing around the campus looking like this. That crazy Kuno is skulking around out there and he's in love with my female form." "Well, well. Maybe he's not so crazy after all." "Hey! I'm still a guy in here, okay?" he, er...she, was plainly distressed. "You think I like this?!" "Well...It would appear to have its advantages." Jeff stroked his chin and looked at the ceiling. "The women's locker room....hmmmmm." "Sheesh! And they called *me* a pervert. Are you going to get the hot water or not?" "Sure thing. Uh...how hot?" "I don't know. Just....hot." "No problem. Be back in a flash." A knock at the door and a female voice interrupted the two. "Ranma, are you in there?" "OH NO! Not now." Ranma collapsed over a vaulting horse, a disgusted look on his face. "What ever you do, get rid of her." Jeff peeked out of the window to see a familiar girl standing at the door. "Geeze. You act like she's your fian...ce... Wait a minute." Then he recognized who was outside. "Akane? Akane Tendo?!? She's your fiance?" Suddenly, it all added up. The strange noises from the Tendo residence on nights Jeff was training; Why Mr. Saotome just happened' to be at the dojo; Talk about a crazy tomboy'. The spot on Jeff's chest started to hurt again. Ranma just gave Jeff a disgusted look. "If she doesn't already know about this problem of yours, take my advice, stay like that. I don't think even she's up to clobbering girls yet." "Don't bet on it." Jeff opened the door a little way to see a short, dark haired girl holding her hands in front of her. thought Jeff. "Is Ranma in there?" She asked sweetly, trying to look around Jeff. "Well...yes... and... no" Jeff answered looking over his shoulder at Ranma. With a sudden kick, Akane slammed the door into Jeff's forehead hard enough to snap his head back. Sweet Akane Tendo pushed her way into the room. "OK, Ranma. How many times do I have to tell you: Don't walk right next to the building this time of day? Those stupid upperclassmen just dump their cleaning buckets out the window." she was clearly peeved. Rubbing his forehead and closing the door, Jeff added: "Oh Ranma. Your sweetheart is here." "I'm NOT his...." she suddenly paused. Slowly she turned. Step by step. Inch by inch. She approached. Jeff's life flashed before his eyes. "Uh, Hi Akane. Long time, no see." Jeff tried to sound calm while frantically looking for a quick way out. "YOU!" She accused with a pointed finger. "I know you! You're that pervert that tried to put the moves on me back at the dojo!" "MOVES?!?" Jeff said defensively, all thought of retreat now lost to his indignation. "You call inviting you out for a soda after practice - moves?" "You creep! I know what you boys want!" she yelled as she approached almost within striking distance. "And I HATE BOYS!" "All I wanted was someone to go get a soda with. Who else could I ask? You and I were the only two people in the damn class!!!" Akane's interest in conversation quickly ran out. With a move only a trained martial artist could do, she launched a spin kick at Jeff's chest, just like the last time. Unlike last time, Jeff was ready. Calmly, he grabbed her foot in mid strike, twisted it until Akane was facing away from him, then flipped her towards Ranma. "Here, Catch." The two collided and fell into a tangled heap on one of the mats. "Get your hands off me, you pervert!" she screamed as Ranma's arms enveloped her. "Get off, you clumsy tomboy." Ranma shouted back. "A match made in heaven." Jeff muttered. "I'll just nip out and fetch a bucket of hot water while you two work this out." Jeff slipped out of the door, just in front of a tossed dumbbell. He paused outside facing the door, his hand still on the door knob. he thought. Turning to leave, he ran headlong into more bad news; Tatewaki Kuno, armed and crazy as ever. The sound of a rip-snorting, object-throwing fur and feather fight coming from the PE Equipment Room provided the background music. "Gaijin! I have crossed the burning sands and climbed the highest peaks following my lovely Akane. I saw her come this way. Is she in there?" Kuno asked loudly pointing to the door just as a heavy object dented it's steel surface from the inside. "Ahhh, yeah. But now's probably not the best time to talk to her. She's a little...upset right now." Kuno suddenly reached out and grabbed Jeff by the throat. "This is *your* doing, gaijin!" "Actually, no. You see, she and...ah...some other girl are having a little discussion about marriage...and ..well, things." Jeff croaked in a voice sounding like he was on helium. "My lovely goddess, Akane. Threatened by some common tart." Kuno bellowed, releasing Jeff to grip his bokkan with both hands. "In truth, I think Akane is taking care of herself. In any event, you really don't want to go in there." The sound of Ranma bouncing off the softball bat rack and screaming for Akane to stop lent credence to Jeff's words. "That voice." Kuno started as his head snapped to look at the storage room door. "Speak, gaijin. Is the other girl red of hair with a pig tail?!? Answer me quickly or by the heavens I'll..." "Yeah, sure. Something like that. Why?" "So my two beauties are dueling for the honor of my company." Kuno was suddenly rational again, smugly so. "Ah...right..." This was getting truly bizarre but an idea quickly took shape. "Look, Kuno old pal, why not give the ladies a little time to work this out. One will come out the winner and then you, Tatewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder, undefeated captain and rising star of the high school fencing world, can be her knight in shining armor and claim her affections." "Forget not, the comforting of the loser." Kuno added with dramatic flourish. "She will need a strong, sympathetic shoulder to cry on. Oh, how sweet is the dew from a young maiden's eyes." Jeff stared incredulously at the school's master swordsman. Jeff must have touched a cord in Kuno. "You speak with some wisdom, gaijin. I shall wait for the victor to emerge whereupon I will allow her to claim her prize, namely me, while still getting to comfort the loser. Brilliant!" Kuno's last exclamation was punctuated by Ranma's scream of pain and the sound of something heavy and metal bouncing off one of the concrete walls. "Perhaps she requires assistance..." he began. Jeff put his arm around Kuno's broad shoulders. "You don't really want to go in there right now. Both all flushed and sweaty; don't look their best. It would just embarrass them." The sound of an entire box of equipment scattering across the floor caused even the stalwart Kuno to flinch. "But the comforting..." Kuno started. "Can take place tomorrow." Jeff finished. "I have a radical idea. When the winner comes out of there, she's gonna be stomping mad; in no mood for claiming. She'll want to look her best for you, tiger." "Blue Thunder." "Whatever. Why don't you go home, rest, get freshened up a bit, maybe get some flowers, see her in the morning. She'll be fresh. You'll be fresh. No more resistance to your... magnificence. OK?" Jeff plucked some lint from Kuno's shoulder. "And the looser?" Kuno asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'll get some bandages, maybe some hot water. A little first aid. I'll tell her of your concern. She'll be fine and ready for your strong shoulder to cry on. Think of me as sort of a neutral go-between." You could almost hear the gears grinding in Kuno's head as his brains kicked in to think it over. A baseball bat flying through the window and landing at his feet convinced him that Jeff's plan was a sound one. "I shall listen to your advice and comfort them both later when they are more...reasonable." "Ah, good...good. I'll just nip over to the dispensary now and gather up some bandages and hot water for the loser. It'll all work out, big fella." Jeff said patting Kuno on the shoulder. Kuno bowed slightly, giving Jeff a look he usually reserved for his servants, and departed towards the school gym just as a whole weight rack came flying out onto the grass. "How, in the world, do I do this?" Jeff mumbled in English. Jeff was about to leave when he heard she sound of someone sarcastically clapping from the doorway of the next building. Jeff eased himself around the corner to come face-to-face with Nabiki Tendo who was still clapping. "Masterful performance, gaijin-san. Tell me, are you really that much of a toady worm or were you just playing the part?" she sneered. "Sometimes, Miss Tendo, it is better to face force with deception. Mimasu Ju, the tenth law." "Well, whatever. It was an impressive performance. Not that *I* would ever stoop to such groveling. But with you it seems to work." "Well, it helps when the grovelee has a room temperature IQ. Not to change the subject or anything, but I've been meaning to ask you something and seeing Akane again reminded me." Nabiki's face screwed into a disgusted look. She already misdiagnosed what Jeff was about to ask. "OK, gaijin. I don't see why you should be any different than the rest. Here's the deal. Ten thousand yen and I'll introduce you to Akane. For twenty thousand, I don't tell Kuno." she dead panned. She looked and sounded like she had made this speech a thousand times before. Perhaps she had. Jeff calmly placed his hands on the wall either side of Nabiki's head and leaned in real close. Nabiki didn't even flinch. Impressive. She exhibited all the airs of someone completely confident in her own safety. "And how much for an introduction to Nabiki Tendo?" Jeff asked in a low voice. For the first time in Japan, Jeff found himself alone with an attractive girl. So what if it was Nabiki Tendo, the financial vampire of Furinkan High. Date-wise, this was as good a chance as he was going to get. A chance he was not going to throw away by being timid. After all, he had just talked his way out of a confrontation with Kuno. He was on a roll. Nabiki's eyes grew wide in surprise. The remark must have sounded so sudden and sincere that it momentarily pierced her armor. Perhaps no one had ever been this honest with her before. Perhaps she was just struck by its boldness. Whatever it was, it lasted only a second as she quickly recovered and jumped to her second wrong conclusion. "It won't work, you know. Trying to get to Akane through me." she smugly advised. "I don't want to *get* to Akane. Been there. Done that. Got the bruises to prove it." "Oh, yes, I remember now. You're the American student she kicked into the next prefecture for being too forward with her. What'd you try, 'I love you, Akane. I would date with you.'?" "Actually, it was more like: 'You want to get a coke after practice? I'll buy.'" "Hmmmm. Little sis never did have enough sense to accept a freebie" Nabiki said shifting her position so that she was leaning more against the wall, her arms crossed. "And just what makes you think a lady such as myself would be interested in a yen-less gaijin, such as you?" She asked, her head turned slightly away while her eyes remained on Jeff. She finished with batting her eyelashes at him in mock Western fashion. It was clear she had done her homework on Jeff. "Perhaps, I simply wish to enjoy your company." "Honey, I don't think you can *afford* my company." "Well, why don't you let me take a whack at it, anyway. I've done some checking around on my own and you're not exactly on the 'A' list for parties. Not to put too fine a point on it, if it weren't for Yuka and Sayuri, you'd spend all your time talking to yourself." "True. I don't get out as much as I would like. As for Yuka and Sayuri, they're business partners" She said looking off past Jeff. "At least, I have a place to sit at lunch." "How much did you pay for it?" Nabiki's icy stare confirmed Jeff's touche'. A small smile crept across her face. On another woman, Jeff would have been running for his life. On Nabiki, it looked like a challenge and Jeff just couldn't resist a challange. "I'll tell you what." he started. "You pick the place. Something you've always wanted to do, within reason. I'll pick you up Saturday at ten and I"ll even throw dinner. Deal?" "Oh, your words have melted my feminine heart, gaijin." She replied sarcastically. "I accept." She looked up at the sky for a moment to make her selection, then paused like a cat about to devour a helpless mouse. "Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to ride a horse. You may take me riding." She said stroking Jeff's cheek with her index finger. This was as much a test as a date. Horseback riding was more expensive than golf in Japan. Only the very wealthy could afford a horse. A person needed to be well heeled just to rent one. If she was expecting a stunned reaction from Jeff, she must have been disappointed. He had anticipated spending a bundle on his first date anyway. Going riding fit easily into his proposed budget. "Be ready at ten." Jeff took her hand and gently attempted to kiss it. Nabiki quickly withdrew her hand and gave him a look of warning. Jeff just smiled confidently and watched as she slipped under his arm, opened the nearest door and, with a wry smile, disappeared inside. Jeff thought as he envisioned a moonlight ride with Nabiki. Ranma's scream snapped Jeff back to reality. "Damn! The water." he muttered scurrying off to the dispensary. Friday morning dawned clear and warm. Jeff Lawrence made sure he arrived at Furinkan High School extra early to pick out a good spot to watch the morning show. Setting up a low beach chair under a large tree, Jeff settled in for the entertainment portion of his day. Wearing dark glasses and sipping a mug of juice, Jeff balanced a sun reflector under his chin as he reclined in the beach chair. An ominous shadow soon fell over him. "You're blocking my sun, fella. You wanna move?" Jeff said lazily. "So! You deceive me into leaving the duel between my two lovely angels..." Kuno began. "Lovely Angels? No, Yuri and Kai were *not* in that room. Trust me." Jeff interrupted, putting down the reflector and sipping some juice. "I'm referring to my two loves; Akane Tendo and the red haired pig-tailed girl." "Oh, them." "Yes! Them! And *now* I find you here to challenge for Akane's affections. Deny it, gaijin!" He was waving that 'pig-sticker' again. Jeff thought. He lazily looked up at the large would-be samurai and said: "Back home, we have a saying: If the horse throws you, get back on. If the horse throws you then kicks you, get another horse.'" Kuno seemed to be struggling with Jeff's homey proverb. Maybe it was the lousy way it translated into Japanese. Maybe it was just a little to 'low brow' for his delicate taste. In any case, it was like watching a 10 year old try to figure out quantum physics. "SO?!?" he finally roared out of frustration. "So, I have all the bruises I require from Miss Akane Tendo and have no interest in her. Besides, I prefer older, more intellectual women like...oh, say Nabiki Tendo." "Nabiki? [snort] Nabiki Tendo?!" This time he roared with laughter. "Well, yes." "That female ledger book? That temple money changer?! That Yakuza reject?!? That..." He never finished because the object of this discussion crowned him with a large book. Kuno blinked, got a far away look in his eyes, and droned: "I'll deal with you in a moment, gaijin. I seem to have... developed a...slight...head ache." With eyes rolled back into his head, Mr. Blue Thunder hit the ground with a resounding 'thud'. "Never knew when to shut up," Nabiki Tendo lamented sarcastically. "Nice shot. What'd you use?" Jeff asked taking another sip of his drink. Nabiki held up an oversized hard back edition of 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare'. "Quite appropriate, my dear. And so skillfully applied, too." "Well, a girl has her reputation to protect," Nabiki responded, flicking a few stray strands of hair from in front of her face. "Join me?" "A gentleman would offer his chair." "Two thousand yen, please." Jeff answered with his hand out. Nabiki's friends gasped. Nabiki only gave a wry smile. she thought. She too liked challenges and this character was certainly a challenge, in more ways than one. With a sigh of resignation, Nabiki neatly folded her school uniform skirt and sat down next to Jeff on the soft grass. Jeff casually handed her a small bottle of juice from his cooler. "How much?" she inquired before reaching for it. "On the house. I don't want you to think I only see you as a source of extra income." Nabiki accepted the juice but gave Jeff 'the look' meaning that she felt a challenge to her lofty position of champion extortionist. "Looks like we just made it." she observed, opening her bottle. "Yup. The circus is in town and the parade of clowns is about to start." The Akane whirlwind arrived in its usual fashion: Ranma perched on top of the wall next to the gate holding Akane's book bag; love sick jocks streaming in from all directions; and Akane Tendo chopping the whole bunch into cole slaw. As luck would have it, the last suitor fell not 10 feet from Jeff and Nabiki. Akane, gasping for breath, eyed the two suspiciously when they broke into applause. "Bravo! Masterful performance!" "Morning, sis" chirped Nabiki between sips of her juice and applauding. Akane, her distaste at being considered light entertainment clearly written all over her face, was about to reply when she noticed the prostrate form next to her sister. "What's with Kuno?" Akane finally asked. "Yeah, he doesn't look too ready to fight Akane this morning" quipped Ranma as he arrived at Akane's side. "Had a little run-in with Shakespeare." Jeff said removing his shades. "Something about being quoted out of context." "You know, Jeff-baby. He's going to be late for class if he doesn't wake up soon." Nabiki said sweetly, wiping her mouth with a fresh napkin. "Quite right, my dear. You four fellows there" Jeff pointed to a small group of males in the gathering crowd. "Haul Mr. Blue Thunder here up to his class and place him at his desk. I seriously doubt the teachers will notice any difference." All loose ends being neatly tied up, Jeff stood, brushed off his sleeves, and offered his arm to Nabiki. "I believe we should be getting along ourselves, Miss Tendo." "Delighted, Mr. Lawrence." Nabiki answered slipping her arm around Jeff's and leading him towards the school. Akane, Ranma and the rest of the gathered student body watched wide eyed as Jeff and Nabiki lead the four students struggling with Kuno's limp body towards the school building. "Well, what do you make of all that?" Akane finally asked. Ranma wasn't listening. He missed much of his breakfast trying to get to school on time. "I wonder if there's any juice left." Ranma thought out loud, looking through Jeff's things. "I should have known better than ask you. Always thinking of your stomach. You're so immature." "And you're an uncute tomboy." That did it. Round two commenced and it was shorter than a Mike Tyson fight. Officially, it was a TKO for Akane resulting in Ranma upside down in Jeff's beach chair covered with orange juice. Saturday at ten found Jeff outside the Tendo compound. His father arranged for an embassy car and driver to take him and his date wherever they wanted to go. Jeff approached the door to the Tendo house and announced his arrival. An older looking girl with a pony tail over her right shoulder greeted him. "You must be Jeff. I'm Kasumi, Nabiki's sister. My you look handsome in your riding outfit. Come in, come in. Everyone is in the main room waiting for you." Jeff bowed politely and thought: Kasumi Tendo watched passively as he struggled with his riding boots then directed Jeff into the main room where a rather large panda and Soun Tendo greeted him from the table and motioned for him to enter. Mr Tendo was reading his newspaper while the panda chewed on some bamboo shoots. With cautious curiosity, he approached the panda. "Is that really you, Mr. Saotome?" Jeff said leaning close and looking carefully into the panda's eyes. The panda responded by holding up a small sign saying: [Need breathmint.] Jeff thought. Smiling, he asked: "If you get sick, do they call a doctor or a vet?" The panda just growled and took a swipe at Jeff's head. "Now, now, my friend. Lawrence-san has a point." Mr. Tendo said calmly from behind his paper. The panda eyed first Jeff then the back of Mr. Tendo's newspaper before holding up a sign saying he was going to take a bath. Nabiki soon appeared, dressed in her new English riding outfit. It was spectacular. A white poet-necked shirt topped by a beige vest only a shade darker than her light beige riding pants. She carried her calf-length mahogany brown riding boots like a game show hostess. A brown riding derby and a cute little riding crop completed the ensemble. She paused in the door way, posing like something out of an ad. She was careful to show off how well the outfit accented her nice figure. "Something wrong with your legs?" Ranma snorted as he squeezed past her into the room. "She's posing for Jeff, you dolt," Akane replied, following him. "Don't you know anything?" Nabiki just held her pose, closed her eyes and prayed the two children weren't going to do what they did every morning. "Well, I know she looks goofy standing like that." Ranma was embellishing his challenge. "You're such a jerk, Ranma! She happens to be showing off her expensive new riding outfit like a model," Akane shouted back. "Yeah? Well, I still say it looks goofy." "Ooooooooh!!" Akane somehow produced a large mallet and began waving it like a samurai sword. Ranma, skipping the part where he tries to figure out how she produced such a weapon out of thin air, bolted for the open door and ran for his life with Akane right on his heels taking repeated swipes at his head with the mallet. "Come back here!" Akane yelled as the two sprinted across the compound. "Quite the lovebirds, aren't they?" Nabiki dead panned. She had given up the posing and was leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed. "This goes on all the time?" Jeff asked watching Ranma dodge several blows as he headed for the dojo. "All the time. Every day. Morning, noon, and night. Honestly, I don't know how we keep up with the repairs." Mr. Tendo just mumbled something from behind his paper. Jeff recovered enough to say something nice about Nabiki's attire. For her part, she downplayed her overall looks while making sure he understood she spent a bundle on looking nice for him. "I arranged for two horses to be available at the Imperial Riding Club. We have them all afternoon." Jeff said looking at his watch. "Sounds expensive." Nabiki watched for a reaction. Always probing, she had been frustrated through official channels in her search for Jeff's true worth. All she had left now was trickery. Clearly, she would have to do better. Jeff just smiled. "Actually, a friend at the embassy arranged this through your prime minister's office." she thought. "Shall we?" Jeff indicated the way out. Nabiki bid her father goodbye and happily led Jeff to the door. She was impressed with the 'chauffeur' driven car. "It's provided by the embassy," Jeff corrected. "We hire these guys to drive embassy personnel around. It avoids the problem of having to get a local license." Still, to Nabiki, it seemed like a limousine as she happily watched the neighborhood pass through car's tinted glass. she thought to herself. To Jeff, however, the whole affair was starting out with less of a bang than he had hoped for. Nabiki sat on one end of the seat while Jeff sulked slightly in the other. You could have parked a bus between them. Still, she was going out with him alone; that was something. At the riding club, Jeff was relieved to see English tack on the horses. He had failed to consider, until arriving at the club, that Japan might use some strange saddle arrangement that would have left him looking foolish trying to figure out. Grateful that his parents had given him riding lessons back in England, Jeff easily swung into the saddle. However, it quickly became obvious that Nabiki wasn't kidding when she said she never been on a horse before; it took three tries to get her in the saddle and from the start, the horse was clearly in control. The handler, who was helping her mount, gave her a few simple instructions and they were off. The trail led across a field and into some woods. At first, Nabiki looked like she was about to fall off at any second. But, by the time they reached the woods, she had gotten in the rhythm and seemed to be enjoying herself; with only an occasional frantic grab at the poor animal's mane for balance. The couple didn't talk much, which probably was for the best as Nabiki needed all her concentration skills to keep her mount under control and herself in the saddle. They had ridden for a little over 30 minutes when she hailed Jeff and said that the insides of her knees were hurting. "Should've worn panty-hose." Jeff quipped as he pulled alongside. "Wear what!?!" She responded incredulously. "American 'Star Trek' joke." "Star what!?!" "Don't you ever watch TV?" "Only the financial news." "Oh. Well, how about walking a little while? It'll be easer on your legs." Jeff suggested dismounting. He worked his way around and helped her off her horse. For just a moment, they were uncomfortably close; his hands on her slim waist, her hands on his shoulders. He could smell her perfume, feel her taut waist, and see the strange look on her face. He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn she was waiting for him to do something. Toe-to-toe they paused looking into each other's eyes. After an awkward interval, Jeff cleared his throat and urged her to take the reins of her horse for the walk. As the two slowly walked, side by side, Jeff cursed himself for not being a little more 'romantic'. He was uncomfortably aware the she had more experience at this dating business than he. he thought. For Nabiki's part, she was working the equation from the other end. As a result, neither talked much, just small bits about the weather, school, classes, and the like. One of those boring conversations guaranteed to kill a date. Eventually, the woods opened up to reveal a clearing with a small lake in the middle. Jeff suggested they stop and rest awhile before heading back. As he tied up the horses, Nabiki wandered down by the lake and sat beneath a large tree. Jeff soon joined her and stretched out on his side in the grass. "It's been a long time since I've ridden. I forgot how the knee joint gets rubbed raw." Jeff said feeling a little sore himself. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you." "That's alright," she said rubbing where it hurt. "I'm having fun anyway." They sat together, only three feet and a culture apart, for a while, neither willing to break the mood. "Jeff.." Nabiki started while looking at the lake. "Tell me about yourself." Once again, she was probing. "Not much to tell. Born in London, England. I'm an only child. My father is a professor of international relations serving as an assistant to the ambassador. We moved to Japan five years ago. I went to embassy schools until this year when I convinced my parents to let me go to a Japanese high school." "Haven't you ever lived in America?" she asked. "Not really. I spent a couple of summers there living with relatives; once in Kansas and another time in Michigan. I really didn't enjoy it very much." "Why?" "They were practically strangers. It was like being sent away to camp or boarding school...or worse." Jeff paused as a particularly unpleasant memory of one summer with farming relatives slithered through his mind. "It wasn't home and they didn't seem like family." "Were they farmers?" "Some were." "Farming offers a return on investment of less than one half of one percent before deductions." she recited. "Not a profitable occupation." She had finally found something she knew completely to talk about, business affairs. She went on to quote business analysis reports on farming in Japan, even to the point of noting the Ministry of Agriculture document numbers. Jeff felt challenged by that and responded: "Actually, if proper farm subsidies are utilized to their fullest, the return is much higher. Before taxes, I mean." he thought as he watched some ducks land on the little lake. Nabiki looked critically at Jeff while he was watching the ducks. she thought. Slowly, her eyes drew down his reclining form. What she saw stirred something in her. Something she had rarely felt before. He was easily the best built guy she had ever been out with or even considered going out with. She was falling victim to a physical attraction. For almost a minute, Nabiki was quiet. Without warning and with an exasperated tone, she turned to Jeff and asked: "Isn't anyone in your family well off?" Jeff kept looking at the lake as he thought with some amusement: After an awkward pause, Jeff quietly had a question for her: "Is it all that important to you?" "Yes!" Nabiki responded, looking Jeff in the eyes. "Well...Maybe." She added as she thought of the other things in life. "I don't know..." She turned her face away to avoid the embarrassment of her indecision. she thought with disgust. When she entered this glen, she knew she was in control. Now...she could feel it slipping away. "I see." Jeff said quietly. "Then it would make all the difference in the world if I was rich." "Yes." was her tiny response. "Why? I'd still be the same person." "You wouldn't understand, gaijin Jeff. You don't understand us. You never can." She was looking at him again, serious and stern. Jeff had encountered the Japanese closed society before and knew enough not to challenge it now. Still, he got the feeling that this was more than a cultural thing. I sounded almost like a cheap dodge of a direct question. Perhaps he pricked a nerve with his questioning of her values. In any case, he figured this was a good conversation topic to avoid. In the mean time, a frustrated Nabiki shifted her position, pulling her knees up, hugging her legs and resting her chin on her knees. She looked like she was drifting in another world. For several minutes they said nothing as the sounds of nature surrounded them. "This place reminds me of the park where mother used to take us for picnics." she finally said. "It seems like so long ago." She hesitated, a grim look capturing her face. "Father had a lot students back then and was always teaching in the dojo, especially on weekends. So mother would take us on outings. I always liked the picnics best. Akane and I would run and play while Kasumi was helping mother with food." She was rocking slightly now. Her eyes were staring a thousand miles away. More memories flooding back, some good, some not so good. "We had more money then. Kasumi always dressed so nice. Now...." She paused while a particularly bad memory washed by. "Akane was always trying to catch the ducks or getting in fights with the other kids. I usually wound up leading her back to mother bruised, dirty or both." She hid her face in her arms for a moment, perhaps to wipe a tear, perhaps just to clear a bad memory. Jeff knew her mother had died when she was younger, but was unprepared to face Nabiki's reality just yet. "When mother died..." she paused, her face taking on a grimmer look. "When mother died, everything changed. Kasumi took over the household; cooking, cleaning, shopping. Little Akane moved into the dojo and spent all her time working out. I..." she swallowed hard before continuing. "I tried to help too by keeping the books and looking for ways to make more money. With the dojo shut down, we had to depend on investments made back when business was better. It's barely enough to make ends meet." Jeff thought. Jeff examined Nabiki closely. She had an attractive figure, a beautiful face, and a sharp wit; everything he hoped for. He was mentally tracing her figure, maybe even undressing her a little, when she startled him with a kind of question the inscrutable Japanese are famous for. "What's your mother like?" Jeff thought of his mother and answered honestly. "Loving, caring, supportive... a good diplomat's wife." Nabiki shifted her position to address Jeff more directly. "Ever wish you had brothers or sisters?" This one caught him off guard. He had rarely thought about siblings. Being an only child, Jeff was typically ambiguous. "I guess so, sometimes. Rumor has it my parents only got married because of me." "You mean...?" she shot Jeff a look of pity. "Yup. Shotgun wedding time. They never let me think I caused either one to have less of a life than they wanted but sometimes..." Jeff took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Sometimes I wonder if I ever really made them happy." "You should never think that!" Nabiki scolded. "Every child is a gift. Your parents, I'm sure, are very happy they have you." "I suppose. I just wish they had more time..." he ripped up some grass and tossed it away from him. This was more than Jeff had ever admitted to anyone and it caused him some embarrassment. They sat in silence for a few more minutes. The sound of the woods surrounding them. she thought. Nabiki didn't know it at the time, but her heart had taken control, pushing her towards Jeff. She felt more and more out of control. It was a feeling she definitely didn't like. "Jeff..." came Nabiki's tiny voice. "Do you...do you think I'm cute." she thought, her mouth was uncharacteristically working on its own. For his part, Jeff was stunned by this question. Up to now, he thought he knew where the conversation was going; how wealthy he or his family was. Now, Nabiki Tendo, the girl most likely to wind up running Sony or Toyota some day, was worried about whether or not a gaijin thinks she's cute? Jeff stared at her for a few moments. When he did answer, he answered from the heart. "Hai, kawaii, Nabiki. Kawaii." Nabiki dropped to one elbow next to Jeff and looked him in the eyes. "Really?" came her soft voice. She was really out of control now. Her hormones just finished beating up her reserve. What was left had definitely slipped its leash. "Really. Since the first day I saw you. Kawaii, very kawaii." She finished rolling onto her elbows, her body perpendicular to Jeff's. With a finger, she traced his jaw line, much like she did the first time they met. "Jeff-san, have you ever kissed a girl?" she asked casually. Still, the question caused Jeff to think back to England and a birthday party at the French Embassy. He remembered a cute 9 year old daughter of a Dutch diplomat. He smiled painfully, as he remembered her soft lips and his clumsy attempt at 10 year old romance. It was a disaster better left buried and forgotten. Still, his male pride wouldn't let him admit to his inexperience. "Yes, once or twice. You?" She continued tracing designs on Jeff's face, but she was no longer looking at him. Her gaze was, once again, fixed on something far away. "No...not really. In Japan, kissing is so...sexual." "Sexual?" Jeff asked softly. Nabiki turned her head to look at Jeff. Their faces were only inches apart as they studied each other carefully. "Hai, Jeff-san." she whispered. It seemed like hours passed like that, neither wanted to make the first move; perhaps, because neither knew what to do next. It must have been a silent will between them. Maybe there's something to the talk about magnetism between two people, because Nabiki slowly drifted closer, lips parted, until they touched his lightly. The kiss that resulted was like butterfly wings, barely there; a moist breeze. She withdrew, looked him deeply in the eyes and repeated. They paused for a moment; both scared of where this was going but each secretly desiring to find out. It's hard to say just who moved first. One moment they were frozen, staring intently at each other and the next they slid together in an embrace, kissing passionately; she holding his head with her hands and he with his arms around her slim body. They did nothing else but kiss, over and over again. He ran his hands lightly over her back, feeling the tautness of her muscles through her riding shirt and vest. Their chests pressed together, each could feel the other's heart beating...fast. For the next hour, the two lay in a light embrace, saying nothing but speaking volumes. It was getting dark by the time the two riders made their way back to the riding club. The handler welcomed them and asked if they had a pleasant ride. They just smiled shyly. Dinner at the club was a simple affair, not that either knew the difference. They spent most of the evening acting like two embarrassed friends on an outing; only a smile or raised eyebrow revealing their deeper emotions. What conversation that did take place sounded more like two high school kids practicing their English, innocent yet daring. The ride home was cozier than the one out, both sitting on the same side of the seat, Jeff with his arm casually around her shoulders, Nabiki leaning lightly against him. Neither broke the spell with conversation. Each lost in their own thoughts. The driver, sensing what was going on, took the long way home. Outside the Tendo residence, the couple embraced once again. Jeff traced a line from her cheek down across her jaw line with his fingertips. "I'll call you." he promised. "Hai, Jeff-chan" She glanced nervously at the house then kissed Jeff lightly once more before she slipped through the gate and disappeared into the compound. Jeff watched until he saw her silhouette entering the house. Reluctantly, he turned and stepped back into the car. He didn't remember much about the ride home or entering his darkened house; no one was there to greet him. It was times like this, Jeff wished he had someone to share his experiences with. Instead, he had just a cold shower and bed. Nabiki didn't have the same quiet arrival at home as Jeff. Waiting up for her, seated at the top of the stairs, were Akane and Kasumi. "Well?" Akane asked. "Well, what?" Nabiki answered, a little peeved at the reception committee. "Come on, Nab-chan. Tell us all about it." Kasumi said with a little smile that was part mischievous and part motherly. "Nothing to it." Nabiki said pushing past her sisters, trying to make a break for her room. "Nothing, she says." chimed Akane. "I guess those grass stains on her elbows came from falling off the horse." "Poor dear," Kasumi said sympathetically. "It must have hurt to fall so far on your elbows." Shocked, Nabiki quickly checked the elbows of her new shirt. Sure enough, they were stained light green from the grass at the lake. "Ok, we kissed. Satisfied?" Nabiki clearly wanted to escape her inquisitors. "Nothing else." "Couldn't do it standing up?" Akane chided leaning against the wall, her hands behind her head. She had never had a real date herself. Ranma wasn't the dating kind and Kuno made sure no one else had the chance. Living vicariously through Nabiki's dates was the only experiences she had. Nabiki froze staring at the door to her room. She wanted to run inside and latch the door. She had been out on lots of dates before, came home extra late on a few. Her sisters never waited up for her like this. Why did all this bother her so? Silence surrounded the three. Off in the distance, you could hear Ranma working out in the dojo with his father. Soun Tendo was probably there too. "Really, it was...nothing." Nabiki's voice wavered slightly, her mind a whirl of emotions. She turned slowly to her older sister and started to say something but failed. In frustration, she flung open the door and stumbled into her room. Kasumi and Akane glanced at each other, shocked. Something was most certainly wrong. Nabiki was always the strong one who flippantly butterflied from boy to boy, without emotional attachments. Seeing their middle sister this way was... unnatural. The three quickly congregated in Nabiki's room. Nabiki crawled onto her bed clutching her pillow, her back, fittingly, against the wall. She wore a look of irritated concern on her face. Kasumi sat at the foot of the bed while Akane straddled the chair at her sister's study desk. Kasumi quietly asked: "Nab-chan, what happened." "If that creep did anything to you, I'll..." Akane flared looking over her shoulder out the window. "NO! It's...it's not like that. It's just..." Nabiki hugged her pillow tighter now. "Jeff's... different, that's all." There, it was finally out. This was the closest she had ever admitted to being in love with anyone. Her list of temporary boyfriends was long and littered with their financial corpses. Her reputation as a pecuniary vampire had spread such that few ventured close enough any more to consider dating. Love was an unprofitable emotion better left to rich fools like Kuno or idealistic dreamers such as her sister Kasumi. Up to now, Nabiki never considered herself susceptible to such an emotion. That mistake weakened her natural defense and made her even more vulnerable. Kasumi gently reached out and brushed the hair out of Nabiki's face. Kasumi had become the family's defacto mother substitute. Her quiet wisdom and patience often helped her younger sisters come to grips with the trials of growing up. To the casual observer she was lost in another world much of the time. But that was simply her contentment with the life she led. Underneath, she was the best combination of mother, older sister and friend. "Kasumi..." Nabiki started like a little girl. "I can't explain it...I..." Her young body rocked slightly. "Are you in love with him?" Akane asked wide eyed. "I mean, really in love." "I...I don't know." Nabiki sighed in resignation. At least she was being honest. "Nabiki, dear. It was only one date. How could you be in love with someone after only one date?" Kasumi was again playing the mother role. "I'm not sure. I don't know." Nabiki shuddered again. "Something in me *wants* to but...I can't be...I *can't* be in love with him. He's poor. He probably had to borrow enough money to take me out tonight. I WON'T MARRY A POOR MAN. I won't turn out like mother." Her sisters looked at each other in shock. Poor? Marry? Like mother? What was she talking about? "What about mother?" Kasumi asked with more force than she usually used with the girls. "Mother wasn't happy. She couldn't have been happy... fulfilled." Nabiki protested. "Cooking and cleaning. Keeping the family books. Having to bear children then raise them. When was she going to fulfill her dreams? I heard that before we were born, mom was going to go to college. She could have been successful in some business. She gave all that up for *children*, cooking, and cleaning. How could she have possibly been happy?!?" "Oh, Nabiki." Kasumi sighed. "You never really knew her. Mother was the happiest woman I've ever met. What she had here made her very happy." "But what about her career, her dreams?" "Are you so sure that we were not part of her dreams? Nabiki, honey, you have to follow what is important to you, but to mother, it was a home and a family that made her happy. It would seem that you don't really know *what* you want." That stung Nabiki. She had been much younger when mother died and didn't really get to know her like Kasumi, who was always doing things with her. Nabiki had been too wrapped up with her friends and things outside the home to think much about her mother. She was just always...there. She had never considered that having daughters could be part of a woman's dreams. By the time Akane and Kasumi left, Nabiki was deep in thought about what to do now. She had much to think about. Jeff, too, had much to ponder. But his was more defensive. He thought sadly. Jeff was laying wide awake on top of his covers. Visions of Nabiki; trying to ride, sitting under the tree, kissing (especially, kissing), kept a constant parade in his mind. Jeff's confusion blended with his imagination to create scenario after scenario, each a little better than the last. It was a mental version of the old she loves me, she loves me not' game. Too bad sleep overtook him before the last petals of the flower were plucked. By morning, Nabiki was her old self; sly and calculating. "You alright?" Akane asked over breakfast. "Never better." Chirped Nabiki as she dug into her food. "What about Jeff?" "Him? Oh, I guess we'll be friends. I'll still go out with him but I could never love someone poor. Pass the juice, please." "But what about last night?" Nabiki froze for a moment. The question was exactly what she didn't want to face this morning. "It meant nothing. It won't happen again." Akane looked at her sister carefully before turning to her own breakfast. She could tell her sister still hurt. Asking more questions would only hurt her more. There was nothing left for her to do but wait around to pick up the pieces when Nabiki crashed. Besides, she had her own problems with that jerk, Ranma. "Oh, Oneechan, could you please try to get those grass stains out of my shirt? I might want to use it again." Nabiki asked sweetly, as she always did when she wanted something from others. "Of course, Nabiki. Another ride with Jeff?" Nabiki eyed her older sister coolly. "I said no. We are only friends." She viciously bit into a biscuit. Jeff came to school Monday, excited to see Nabiki again. His phone calls to her Sunday went unanswered and unreturned. Kasumi was quite polite about it but Nabiki was never home or in the bath or something else. Jeff's naivete screened out much of reality and left him with only his hopes. he pondered in class. Occasionally, he would look her way but they never made eye contact. She made no effort to talk to him. Between classes and during lunch, she would respond to him in a friendly but distant manner, like an unfamiliar fellow classmate. It was if Saturday never happened. Confused and hurt, Jeff retreated to reconsider. Nabiki was as infected with confusion as Jeff; only she was a carrier. Despite her best efforts, a little voice in her head kept insisting that she really loved him. Her conscious mind rejected that notion out of hand. And so, the battle raged. On one hand, he was everything she had hoped for emotionally in a man; patient, attentive and loving. On the other, he was as poor as a gaijin could be. she thought. When Jeff called her a few days later, Nabiki acted like she was almost anxious to talk to him. Unbeknownst to Jeff, she had a plan that was ready to hatch. "Jeff-chan" Nabiki cooed. "I loved our little ride so much I will allow you to take me somewhere else." "Oh?" Jeff almost sounded sarcastic. And why not? The horseback riding date cost him three month's allowance. His savings account starting digging foxholes at the sound of Nabiki's voice. "I haven't been to the mountain spas in years." she said in her little girl voice. "Mountain spas?" Jeff's savings account stopped with the foxhole and went right to bomb shelter. "Japan is full of outdoor mineral hot springs. It's the In' place to go." Nabiki sounded genuinely excited. Jeff thought back to England and the mineral spas around Bath. All he could remember was the large number of elderly. Surely, she wasn't suggesting spending a weekend surrounded by the senior citizen set. "Isn't that for old people?" "Silly. Everyone goes there. It's lots of fun. There's all kinds of games and activities..." "Sounds expensive." "Does this mean you don't want to go?" she pouted. Nabiki knew just where to probe to get Jeff's goat. One fake sniff, and Jeff was putty (at least, for now). "Of course, we'll go. How about next weekend?" "Oh, you'll love it. It's so warm and healthy. And it has a wonderful view of Mount Fuji." she was sounding like a travel agent. Jeff's mind had teamed up with his hormones to create a vision of a naked Nabiki snuggled up next to a naked Jeff gazing at... "Actually, Nabiki, I'm not sure this is all that good of an idea." Jeff was sounding like someone with cold feet. "I'm not convinced we should be seeing all that much' of each other." "Oh Jeff." Nabiki baited her trap. "At the spas no one notices such things. Just get in an soak. Honestly, you gaijins have some of the weirdest hangups." Jeff apologized for his apprehension and the plans were quickly finalized. The two would catch a train to Hakone and stay (in separate rooms, of course) a night at an inn then return the next day. Most of each day would be spent soaking in the rich mineral water of the natural hot springs or partaking of the inn's activities. Jeff hung up the phone. He now had two problems: how to get enough money together for the trip and how to gracefully get into a hot spring buck naked, in front of his would-be girl friend, with at least a few shreds of his dignity left. For the first problem, he would, reluctantly, raid his savings account again. This would put a sizeable dent in his cash reserves but if it's for Nabiki, well...he would make that sacrifice. As for the dignity problem, he quickly thought through possible sources of help. The cultural attache wouldn't be much help, she's a woman and would probably laugh at the idea of a 17 year old prude. His mental search finally reached Satouro-san, the morning cook. Mr. Satouro was a chunky, 30 year old, Japanese equivalent to a short order cook who worked the morning shift in the embassy kitchen. Not only was he an expert on Western-style cooking, but he was also a dandy darts player. He and Jeff would have some exciting games of darts down in the kitchen between meals. He was jolly, honest, and ,most of all, discreet. You could talk to him about anything with complete confidence that it would go no further. The only annoying part of him was he fancied himself a great master of the English language and refused to use Japanese around Jeff. "Ahhh. Jeff-san. Come in. Come in." Mr Satouro crowed as Jeff entered the kitchen. "You come play darts?" "Not today, old friend. I need your help with a point of protocol." "Oh, too bad. Not my job. I cook. You need protocol lady." he said rubbing the back of his head. "No, Satouro-san. This is *personal* protocol." Jeff corrected, sitting down on a stool. "Ahhhh. I understand." the cook bobbed. "You having problem with girl. Satouro help. Big with women." He laughed then said something to the kitchen help who joined him in laughter. "My girlfriend wants me to go with her to Hakone." "Ah. Very nice place. Been there." "Yes, well, at the mineral baths. I...ah...I'm not sure how to get in...you know." Jeff said a frustrated wave of his arms. "No problem. Take off robe and get in." "In front of her?" "Why not? She do same." Jeff's look of apprehension tipped Satouro to Jeff's problem. "Ahhh. Satouro see. Jeff-san shy." he said poking Jeff in the arm. The help roared with laughter. "I guess so. Just how do you do it?" "No problem. Take tenugui , little towel, drop robe, hold tenugui in front" he said demonstrating with a dish towel. "and get in water. No problem." "Just like that?" "Like that." he demonstrated again. "Won't people stare?" "No, Jeff-san." he waived his had at Jeff. "Only look because you Westerner. Not look at your...." He waved at Jeff's groin area. The kitchen staff shared Satouro-san's laughter. Jeff just nodded and smiled. He knew they weren't laughing at him. It must have sounded like a funny situation to guys who grew up going to public baths. In Japan, Western modesty was still amusing. "Satouro have even better idea." the cook said shushing the rest of the kitchen staff. "Get in water first. That way, she be naked in front of *you*." The whole kitchen broke up at his suggestion. "You mean, like, get to the pool while she is still changing?" "Hai." Sounded reasonable. Timing would be the problem. he thought. Jeff thanked Satouro-san and waived goodby to the rest of the staff. They were still cutting up and laughing at each other as Jeff wandered back to his room. It was going to be a long week. To Jeff's surprise, the week passed rather quickly. Nabiki was less talkative and more inscrutable [oh, that word] than usual. By Saturday morning, Jeff had psyched himself up to going through with this mixed nude bathing' business. However, his arrival at the train station quickly delivered a crushing blow to his resolve. "Ohaiyo, Jeff-san" Nabiki called from across the station. "We're all ready to go." Jeff hesitated when he noticed that Nabiki was accompanied by three attractive young ladies. Two he knew from school, Yuka and Sayuri. The third was her older sister, Kasumi. "Ah, Nabiki. I though this trip was for you and me alone. I can't afford all these people." Jeff whispered pulling Nabiki aside. "Don't worry, Jeff-chan. They are paying their own way." She flashed her mischievous grin. Jeff thought as they rejoined the other girls. "Besides, I don't think daddy would have let me go alone." Nabiki whispered to him. The train trip out was noisy and fun for the four girls. For Jeff, it was an hour of boredom. All the girl-talk left him with plenty of time to look out of the window and ponder his weekend. With the other girls around, Jeff was certain to get no quiet time with Nabiki. he thought. Jeff barely remembered the lunch Kasumi had packed or the latest school gossip shared by the girls. He was dreaming of a hot spring and a warm Nabiki. They checked in at the inn after noon and made arrangements to meet at the pool in an hour. Up in his room, Jeff decided to follow Satouro-san's advice and beat the girls to the spring. he mused as he undressed. Jeff was robed and out the door in less than ten minutes. As he wandered down to the mineral spring, he noticed the great amounts of steam rising from the water, mixing a few feet above the surface in the cool morning air before disappearing above the many trees. Much of the water's surface was obscured by the steam. Many of the bathers were older with a few honeymooners and families mixed in. It wasn't overly busy, more than enough space around the edge so that Jeff could soak in some privacy. He caught sight of a young couple slipping out of the water. Much to his relief, they were as nude as he was under his robe. At least, he couldn't claim to be underdressed for the occasion. "Ohaiyo" The young husband said cheerfully as they passed. Jeff returned the greeting as nonchalantly but pleasantly as possible. At the water's edge, Jeff looked around until he felt sure no one was looking or could see before dropping his robe on the side of the pool and slipping in. The heat of the water struck him immediately and drove from him all concerns of his current lack of attire. He felt like a lobster being boiled alive. his brain screamed. Employing his ninjutsu training, he quickly regained control of his senses and began damage control. It wasn't as hard as the time Master Sato had him stand under a freezing waterfall for two hours in sub freezing temperatures,... but it could have come in second. Slowly, he became acclimated to the hot water and settled back onto a conveniently placed underwater rock to soak, his little hand towel draped over his head. he thought. The sounds of Nabiki and the other girls approaching caught Jeff's attention. Slowly, he turned his head to see the four coming down the stairs wearing the same type of inn supplied robes that Jeff had used. "How's the water?" Nabiki asked as the girls got to the edge of the pool. Thankful for the mineral induced murkiness of the water combined with the rising steam that concealed him from the mid-chest down, Jeff responded calmly that it was hot enough to boil eggs. "Perfect." Nabiki replied as she turned to her friends. Jeff thought, trying not to look like the hormone driven teen that he currently was. Kasumi led the parade into the pool by dropping her robe to reveal...her pleasantly styled one-piece swim suit. The other girls followed, each wearing their own stylish beachwear. Jeff's jaw hit the water with a noticeable splat. Only four words formed in his head. as he sunk lower into the water. Nabiki and her two friends giggled and whispered together for awhile before disappearing into the mists, still gossiping and giggling. For some reason, Kasumi assumed it fell to her to entertain' Jeff while in the pool. She balanced on an underwater rock not far from Jeff and led a lengthy round of small talk. Not that she wasn't a stimulating conversationalist. Much to Jeff's surprise, in many ways, she displayed greater mental agility than her younger sister, as they freely and easily touched on subject after subject. One subject came up so abruptly that it almost knocked Jeff off his rock. "You know, Jeff-san. Nabiki really likes you." Kasumi sighed as she looked directly at the dazed Jeff. "If she likes me, why does she treat me like something to keep at arm's length?" Kasumi smiled slightly before continuing. "In Japan, girls wait for the boys to show their interest before responding." Her own love life with Dr. Tofu added a tinge of sadness to her voice. "Sometimes, the boy is too good to be true. Sometimes, he's not everything the girl hoped for. Sometimes he's just shy. In any case, be patient with Nabiki. She is fighting her heart right now." "It's the money thing, isn't it?" Jeff cut to the heart of the problem. "You know about that." Kasumi looked a little embarrassed at having to explain her sister's actions. "Well, that is her struggle. She wants to be rich. I don't really understand it or why she is so driven..." She paused as if considering some possible answer. "So she likes me but I'm not rich enough for her." Jeff's summation was short, brutal and boorishly American. "Give her time, Jeff-san." Kasumi said softly with a smile. "Give her time." Jeff wasn't fully convinced, but nodded and changed the subject. Before either of them knew it, the afternoon had passed and it was time for dinner. Kasumi insisted Jeff leave first. She would wait for the other girls and they would join him for dinner. Jeff hesitated, gulped, and checked the distance between himself and his robe. It looked a mile away. To complicate matters, a light wind had sprung up and their entire half of the pool was now free of the concealing mist. Nothing left to do but get out and try to act natural about it. "Jeff-chan" came Nabiki's call as the three girls came back. "Good. You're still here." Then, turning to Yuka: "Looks like I win. I told you he wouldn't get out with my sister there." Kasumi's face wore a confused expression as she looked first at the three girls and then at Jeff. "Go ahead, Jeff." Sayuri chided. "Are you Japanese enough?" "What are you girls talking about?" Kasumi said, clearly annoyed. "I still say he won't get out until after dark." Nabiki was savoring her brilliance. She was clearly on the verge of winning some kind of bet with the other girls. "I know Americans." Jeff thought. He locked eyes with Nabiki, his mien clearly expressing his dislike for the situation she put him in. Nabiki's grin shrunk slightly. he thought darkly. With no fanfare, Jeff stood up, skillfully concealing himself with the little tenugui towel as he stepped out of the pool. Kasumi, for her part, looked away but wore an expression of a bottle that just cracked; her eyes fixed on the water near the rocks, a little smile creasing her face. She hadn't been in a mineral spring pool with a naked man since she was 5 years old. In spite of the traditional Japanese nonchalance towards opposite gender nudity in bathing, the sight of a naked Jeff exiting the pool right in front of her had caused a slight tilt' in her expression. Nabiki and her friends at didn't help. They giggled and called out encouragement at the sight of Jeff's bare white bottom exiting the pool. Jeff quickly threw on his robe and hesitated. he thought. Turning quickly, his robe still untied, he bowed politely to the ladies. The girls and Jeff looked at each other, but their eyes never met. "Oh my" Kasumi gasped. Jeff tied his robe shut, turned on his heel and started back to the inn; leaving Kasumi, wide eyed and hand in front of mouth and the other three girls giggling like, well..., school girls. An hour later, the girls met for dinner. The conversation was lively and pleasant. No mention of the day's show' was heard. Only Kasumi seemed concerned with Jeff's absence. She was getting a bad feeling about this. She excused herself and sought out a hostess to ask if Jeff had eaten yet. "Hai, Lawrence-san ate very quickly and left just before you arrived." she said with a big smile. "He took bottle of sake and left." Kasumi was exceptionally quiet when she returned for the rest of dinner. Jeff's absence combined with his acquisition of the sake didn't sound good. She worried that Jeff had been driven to drink to resolve his embarrassment. This was not good at all. After dinner, the girls scampered off to check out what amusements the inn provided. Kasumi, enjoying the serenity of not having to do the dishes or clean anything for one night, wandered out to the balcony, a soft drink in hand. She was still wondering what happened to Jeff when she noticed someone sitting in the pool that looked familiar. A more careful examination confirmed; it was Jeff. "Kasumi," Nabiki called as she walked onto the balcony. "Have you seen Jeff? I want to find out why he wasn't at dinner. That was pretty inconsiderate of him to make us dine alone." Kasumi just pointed out the lone figure in the pool. "You know, Nabiki, I'm not surprised. What you girls did to him wasn't very nice." Kasumi began her older sister routine. "I think you hurt him." "Oh, Oneechan, Jeff's a big boy..." Nabiki started. "Who happens to love you." Kasumi finished forcefully. Nabiki was stunned. She slowly looked first at her older sister then at Jeff in the pool. She knew Jeff liked her. She even had some feelings for him. But the fact her older sister knew more about Jeff's feelings than she did cut right to the bone. "How do you know that?" Nabiki asked softly. "By what he said when he talked about you." Kasumi crossed her arms like a chastising mother. "He's pretty vulnerable right now. It wouldn't take much to push him away forever." "Why should I care?" Nabiki shrugged, again trying to gain the upper hand in the discussion. "He's poor. Remember?" "Sister, I hate to think that I spent an entire evening in your room trying to calm down a girl who didn't have some strong feelings for a certain young man. At the very least, I think you owe him an apology." Kasumi looked her younger sister in the eye. Nabiki started to say something but was derailed by her older sister. "You owe him." Kasumi said with a firm look. In Japan, the worst thing you can do is owe someone and make no effort at repayment. "Okay, Oneechan, I'll... apologize to him." Nabiki sighed looking at the deck. She couldn't understand why it had all come to this? It was only a prank. Yuka and Sayuri went along with the plan because it sounded like fun and was another chance to engage in a little light gambling. They never really meant to hurt Jeff. Quietly, Nabiki made her way back to her room. Removing her clothes, she picked up another bathing suit and paused before throwing it back on the bed. she thought as she pulled on her short robe. With a sigh, she walked slowly down to the pool. She couldn't help but notice the empty saki container laying on its side behind him. Jeff never moved, yet he knew she was there. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he said softly as she came up behind him. "See how the shadows of the mountain behind us slowly marches up the side of Mount Fuji." Jeff indicated with his hand the masking of the shadow. "Magnificent." Nabiki paused for a few moments considering his words and absorbing the scene. She wondered how much of the sake was talking. "I'm... sorry for earlier..." Nabiki said softly. She was used to others apologizing to her. She had little experience at doing such herself. It was harder than it looked. "That's okay, Nabiki. It was a good joke...really." he replied but sounded sad doing it. There was an awkward pause. Nabiki shuffled her feet slightly. For once, she was at a loss for what to say or do. "Twelve years." he said. "What?" "I've been trying to fit in for twelve years. Growing up in foreign countries, knowing only kids from the legation community. You don't make many friends that way." Nabiki wanted to stop him, to tell him she was sorry again. Clearly, what she and her friends did hurt him deeper than she thought. "When I failed to make friends my own age, I resorted to trying to please the adults. Whatever it took, I did; jokes, stories, languages, even acting silly if necessary. I became a trick pony', performing on que in hopes they would like me. It was really embarrassing." He paused and squirmed uncomfortably at the memory. "Only Master Sato treated me like someone of worth. I hated leaving him back in England. He was like a grandfather to me." Jeff shifted position to rest an elbow on a large rock. "Japan isn't much better. No one my age I want to be friends with. All I had was the Marine Guards and whomever I could round up from the Japanese staff. Then I met you." Jeff looked back over his shoulder at Nabiki. "Do you know that before last weekend, I had never been on a date before?" "You're kidding." Nabiki said incredulously. "You were so relaxed, like you'd done this a hundred times." "Thank you, but everything I know about dates come from old movies and stories I overheard the Marines tell. Besides, I really wanted to impress you." Jeff's eyes fell. "You know, I really do love you." Nabiki didn't know what to say. She was sure the sake was talking now. Still, sake or not, no guy had ever said to her those words. The more she thought about Jeff and the more she looked at him, the more the feelings she had for him the first date flooded back. She understood a lot of what he said. She too was a bit of an odd duck. Most boys wouldn't even approach her unless they wanted a loan or were willing to pay for her temporary company. No one had ever expressed their love for her and no one had ever exposed themselves to this much ridicule for her sake. Nabiki suddenly felt rotten. "Can I join you?" she asked timidly. "Sure, this rock is big enough for two." he said scooting over slightly. Jeff never looked at Nabiki but he heard her robe fall to the ground, saw the ripples of the pool when she entered and felt her arm bump his as she slid onto the hot rock with him. He closed his eyes and smiled to himself as he smelled her perfume and felt her presence. His dream was coming true; even if she really didn't love him. Being alone with her was all he ever wanted. "I tried to be Japanese today. As usual, all I did was provide entertainment. I guess you were right when you said I could never understand." he lamented reminding her of what she had said on the first date. "I'm sorry." Nabiki quietly slipped her arm through his and snuggled close. Immediately, Jeff knew something was different. Something soft and warm was pressing against his right bicep. Her head rolled slowly over to rest on his shoulder. He wasn't sure but he could have sworn what he was feeling was her bare left breast rubbing his arm lightly as she pulled herself against him. Slowly, he tried to look at her out of the corner of his eyes but her head was in the way. He couldn't lean forward to see if he was right without being obvious. In the end, he simply rested his cheek lightly on her hair and enjoyed the feeling. By then the shadow of the mountain had covered all but the snowy peak of Mount Fuji, creating a moon like affect. The stars began to twinkle lightly above. Back on the balcony, Kasumi had finished her soft drink and watched as the two sat silently soaking in the pool. "Kawaii." was all she said before leaving them to their privacy. On her way inside, she intercepted Nabiki's two friends and guided them into the game room to prevent their interrupting the couple. Kasumi thought as she herded the two girls. Just before total darkness, Jeff asked if Nabiki wanted to for a walk. She happily agreed and Jeff quietly stood up. Like Jeff's earlier in the day, Nabiki's jaw seemed to hit the water. He was wearing a beige swim suit. She watched as he climbed out and donned his robe. "You coming?" he asked innocently. With a sudden flush of Western modesty, Nabiki shrunk deeper in the misty water. "Toss me my robe." she pleaded. "No way. It'll get all wet." Jeff said with a small smile. "I'll tell you what, I'll hold the robe for you." Jeff picked up her robe and held it open. "Turn you head." she said her eyes narrowed. The water was up to her chin now. "Why? You didn't turn your head this afternoon. Besides, I thought only gaijin had such weird hangups." She was caught and knew it. Without a word, but with a mixed look of warning and fear, she stood up abruptly. Without even the help of a tenugui towel, she made vain efforts to cover herself as she stepped from the pool and into the robe. "Kawaii." Jeff said as he hugged her. "Now we're even." "I should hate you for that." she replied as she snuggled back against his warm body. she thought. A cool autumn breeze caused her to shiver slightly. She snuggled closer. For a few minutes they stood like that, enjoying for a second time in their lives the comfortable warmth of each other, until interrupted by another young couple coming down for a soak. Jeff helped Nabiki tie up her robe and held her hand as they slowly walked up to the inn. From that day on, Nabiki and Jeff went out again and again; to school sporting events and dances. Nabiki made it sound like a matter of convenience. Who else would take her out, Kuno? Sure he had money, but the thought of being physically close to him was enough to make her skin crawl. Jeff was...comfortable, and as always, the perfect escort; considerate, attentive, and, most importantly, always able to pay the bill. For the first time in three years, Nabiki began to feel like she belonged at Furinkan. At least, now when the other girls talked about their dates, she could actually relate to what they were talking about. In some cases, she could even top them. Jeff was also very indulgent. One winter weekend, with the help of his Marine friends, he helped Nabiki fulfill another dream of hers; shooting a gun. At an American military target range, the Marine Range Safety Officer handed Nabiki a loaded Beretta 9mm. With a serious look, the RSO gave her a few words of caution and encouragement, none of which she understood as he insisted on using English. Finally, on her own, she assumed a position she saw Nene use in one of her manga and pulled the trigger. Recoil from the first round knocked her back a couple of steps. At that point, Nabiki's stubbornness took over. With a lethal look, she resumed her position, braced herself and started squeezing off round after round. By the third round, the Marines were scrambling for cover. Shots were going everywhere. Jeff, however, stood calmly, his arms crossed and his chin resting on his palm, a bemused look of concern on his face. At the end of nine rounds, Nabiki paused. There were bullet holes in just about everything but the target. Obviously, the RSO was not pleased. He bounded to his feet and began a verbal assault on the girl that would have been right at home in a Marine boot camp. Unfortunately, he was still speaking English and Nabiki still wasn't getting a word of it. Everyone else did, and the snickering began. That only made the RSO angrier. Nabiki, wondering just what was so funny, turned to say something to the Marine who was yelling at her. Unfortunately, she was still holding the pistol. The Marine's eyes grew wide and he jumped back, yelling for Nabiki to watch where she was pointing the weapon. Nabiki looked at Jeff and asked: "What's he so upset about?" "I think he wants you to put the gun down." Jeff replied nonchalantly. Nabiki just looked at the Beretta, giggled and started to set it back on the pistol stand. Would have made it too, except she accidentally squeezed the trigger. There was one round left. The bullet passed between the RSO's legs (about a half an inch below his crotch), ricochet off the blacktop, off a metal trash can, and through the windshield of the embassy car they had come in. As his window exploded, the driver bailed out, screaming in Japanese. For several minutes, bedlam prevailed. Jeff calmly walked up to Nabiki, took the pistol out of her still shaking hand and handed it to the RSO (who had just seen his life pass before his eyes and it wasn't pretty. Especially the last part about being shot in the crotch by a 17 year old Japanese high school girl.) The range was none the worse for wear, all the targets were undamaged, except for one down on the end. One of Jeff's Marine friends retrieved it for her. It was a perfect bulls-eye. She was delighted and couldn't wait to show it to her friends at school. As they walked past the damaged embassy car, two of the Marines were inspecting the damage. The Japanese driver had taken a walk to calm down (rumor has it, he made it all the way to Yokohama). One of the Marines turned to Jeff, folded his arms and said: "I want to be there when you explain *this* to your father." "No problem, I'll just blame it on a ricochet." Jeff said with a shrug. "After all, I wouldn't be lying." The sounds of half a dozen Marines laughing accompanied the pair as they walked to the nearest humvee and got in. For the record, the RSO finished his tour in Japan but seemed to have developed a strange reaction to Japanese high school girls (something similar to Ranma and cats). As for Nabiki, all the way home she kept sniffing the cordite smell on her hand and getting an odd look on her face. It took three days for that look to finally go away. She obviously enjoyed it a bit too much. After several months, even Nabiki began to wonder if she misjudged him. Perhaps, he (or his family) had more money than they showed. She tried again to track down his net worth through her usual channels, even resorting to bribing a former classmate of Kasumi's working at a major financial institution and ran smack into the same ambiguities as before. Perhaps there was something there and, then again, perhaps not. To her friends at school, she was the same old Nabiki. Inside, however, she was riding an emotional roller coaster; her emotions urged her to openly return Jeff's love but her common sense insisted that it could never work due to his lack of wealth. she would think. For Jeff's part, he was running up some pretty hefty IOU's to keep financing his affair with Nabiki. His mother reminded him that he was supposed to be playing poor to see if a girl would marry a poor Jeff. Spending all this money was defeating the purpose. Jeff dismissed such talk, insisting that Nabiki really loved him just for his self. His mother just sadly shook her head and let the matter drop. In the spring, it was obvious to everyone except Nabiki that the two of them were heavily involved. When she wanted to go out, Jeff was there. He was warm, cuddly and not afraid to show his love for her. Even Mr. Tendo and Mr. Saotome noticed; they kept congratulating themselves on such a successful match. Jeff was always willing to play along with whatever Nabiki wanted to do. He would suffer the worst indignities to be with her. Many times she would do something as if to test his resolve; not returning his phone calls or going away to a friends house for the weekend unannounced. Each time, Jeff patiently waited her return; usually following up with small gifts or a special date. Of the two of them, Jeff was the only one truly confident in the relationship. A month before graduation, Jeff invited Nabiki to a fancy embassy ball to honor the Japanese Prime Minister. For Nabiki, this was an opportunity too good to pass up. Making important contacts in the government was paramount in good Japanese business relations. There was no better contact than the prime minister himself. Jeff arrived early to pick up Nabiki. Dressed in his tuxedo, he looked every inch the gentleman. "I trust you will have my daughter home at a decent hour. I've heard about how late these affairs last." her father asked pouring himself some more tea. Jeff was about to respond, when Ranma, or at least the female Ranma, came in dripping wet. "Stupid old man," she mumbled. "Tossing me in the pond like that." "It's your own fault, boy." Mr. Saotome said as he followed his son into the room. "I've told you a thousand times, training is a 24 hour a day job." "Yeah, but not while I'm on the can!" "A good martial artist is prepared for attack anywhere." With a disgusted look and a low growl, Ranma spun quickly and kicked his father across the lawn and into the koi pond. A loud splash accompanied Mr. Saotome's landing. Strangely, Mr. Tendo didn't seem to notice the activity. He just kept sipping his tea. "Take that, old man." Ranma chimed as she began to remove her dripping wet shirt. "Ranma, you pervert, don't you know anything about feminine modesty?" Akane yelled as she entered the room. She grabbed a large towel from the kitchen, and threw it at her gender switched fiance. "Oh, like you'd know about anything feminine." Ranma shot back. Akane was about to respond in her usual delicate manner when Kasumi entered the room and announced that Nabiki was coming down. Jeff just sighed and thought: Jeff was used to Nabiki's fashion sense, but was unprepared for the sophisticated beauty that appeared in the doorway that night. Her entry seemed to take all the air out of the room. Wearing a long strapless evening gown of black velvet that seemed to glitter in the bright light of the room, Nabiki Tendo looked like a woman ready for a night to meet royalty. The mid-calf length skirt was cut modestly to mid thigh on one side to show the shapeliness of her long, nylon encased legs. Above that, the material hugged her form until it reached her breasts, where it abruptly ended, leaving a truly modest amount of cleavage exposed. A beautiful silver necklace with a single pearl nestled seductively between the swells of her breasts. Silver bracelets from her late mother's collection and formal white gloves lent her a regal air. "Oh Nab-chan, you're beautiful." Kasumi sighed as she poured a kettle of warm water over Ranma's head. Mr. Tendo gave her the once over, nodded and declared her to be 'kawaii' before returning to his tea. Jeff just stood and stared, his mouth hanging open. He had seen Nabiki dressed up several times before, but nothing like this. She was more beautiful than even his dreams and for once, he was at a loss for words. With a small smile, Nabiki slowly crossed the room, placed her fingers of her right hand under Jeff's chin and gently closed his mouth. "And what about you, Jeff-chan?" she purred stroking his cheek. Jeff quickly recovered. "I fear this party will be a great disappointment to the prime minister as he will be completely ignored." Jeff said softly with a little smile of his own. "All eyes will be on you this evening." Akane gave Ranma, now switched back to his male form, a jab in the ribs. "What?!?" he said with a startled look. "Say something nice," she hissed back at him. Ranma cleared his throat. "You...ah...look better than usual tonight." Akane slapped herself in the forehead. "Why thank you, Ranma." Nabiki cooed. Jeff closed his eyes and everyone else held their breath, waiting for the flame. "How sweet of you to notice." "There, nyeaaaa." Ranma said to Akane sticking his tongue out at her. Bad move. Akane bopped him on top of his head hard enough to cause a painful bite on his tongue. The two glared at each other. Nabiki had Kasumi take a few photographs of the couple with her camera. "No profit in these." Jeff whispered to Nabiki. She smiled slyly. "A girl can have a scrap book, can't she." "I'll bet your's is worth a fortune." "Be nice and I *might* let you look at it." "I'll check my bank account and get back to you." A few more photographs and the couple were ready to leave. Kasumi waved, Mr. Tendo cried, and Akane repeatedly slammed Ranma's head into the table. Just another night at the Tendo's. Jeff and Nabiki arrived at the ball early. Nabiki immediately took off like a kid in a Toys-R-US. Everywhere she turned, she was faced with another of the powerful and influential. It was all Jeff could do to keep her from becoming a nuisance. The party was in full swing when Jeff offered to introduce her to the prime minister. That was what she had been waiting for, she practically sprinted over to the Japanese politician, dragging a bemused Jeff behind her. Then it happened. Nabiki was used to wheeling and dealing with the folks in her neighborhood. The highest ranking person she had ever dealt with was that rich idiot Kuno. Sure, she had done some deals with the bank to keep the family's home out of hoc. One bank officer had even said that she could charm the siding off his bank. But she was suddenly aware of where she was. This was the big time; the very inner sanctum of the high and mighty. Every word, every inflection, every move was vitally important. A misstep here could damage her business goals permanently. This was a job interview, college entrance exam, and a major international negotiation all rolled into one. Nabiki was frantically grasping for the proper words in her head. She started to panic. She needed a plan. Her brain, however, had a plan all it's own; it ran home an hid under the bed. As Jeff was addressing the prime minister, Nabiki became aware she was about to go into a battle of wits unarmed. "Prime Minister Takahashi, may I present my good friend; Tendo Nabiki. She is from Nerima." Jeff said with a formal bow. Nervously, Nabiki tried to bow and curtsy at the same time. It came out like a person who was either going to fall on her face or lunge at the prime minister. For his part, Takahashi proved the master politician. Bowing politely to Nabiki, he responded: "It is a great honor to meet a resident of such a distinguished Tokyo district. What do you do there?" "I... I... school... my sisters... father dojo" Nabiki squeaked. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car and talked like a defective computer. Jeff did a double take between the prime minister and Nabiki that quickly turned into a triple take. Jeff's Japanese was a bit off at times but even *he* noticed there was something seriously wrong with her answer. He quickly attempted to clarify her words. "Her father runs the Tendo School of Martial Arts, your excellency. She is a student at Furinkan Senior High School, soon to be a graduate." Nabiki still stood rooted to the spot, smiling like a billboard. At least, she didn't faint. "Ah," the prime minister responded. "A charming graduate of our public school system. I trust you will be attending college?" Nabiki looked like she was trying to say something but nothing came out of her mouth. Once again, Jeff rode to the rescue. "Her college plans are not yet complete, your excellency. She is yet to receive her final test scores." The prime minister chuckled and said: "I understand. I too took my time in deciding on a college. You will not regret your caution. It has been very nice meeting the both of you." He bowed again and returned to his earlier conversation. Jeff took the still grinning Nabiki by the shoulders and guided her back through the crowd. "Well, that's enough excitement for you tonight, young lady. Let's check out the punch bowl to see if it's deep enough to drown in." As the couple passed Jeff's mother she stopped him and asked: "Is your young lady friend alright? She looks awfully pale." "I'm sure she's going to be fine, mother. However, when she snaps out of this I think it wise to hide all the sharp objects for awhile. We're going outside for some air." "That's nice, dear." Jeff steered Nabiki out onto the back patio, snatching a very large glass of champagne from a waiter along the way. Outside, he sat her down on one of the benches and turned to face her. "What was that all about?" He asked. Nabiki just blinked. And tried to speak again. "Here, drink this." he said shoving the glass in front of her face. Nabiki had lived a rather sheltered life when it came to most vices. Drinking was definitely not on her resume. In spite of that, she took the large glass and downed the entire contents in one gulp. You could almost hear the internal detonation as the alcohol viciously grabbed her conscious self and slapped it around. "You okay?" Jeff asked as he slid onto the bench next to her, easing the empty glass from her fingers. For a moment all he could see was her lower lip trembling. Suddenly, she started sobbing and buried her face in her hands. "Once in a life time." she sobbed in a very tiny voice. "I will never have another chance to get that close to a member of the Diet. Never!" Jeff just wrapped a comforting arm around her and sighed. "I can't believe I froze! Jeff-chan, I couldn't say a thing!" she moaned. "I can never face someone in authority again. I've failed!" Her body shook as she announced her failure. "I'm just a fat fish in a puddle." "I think that's 'a big fish in a small pond'" Jeff corrected examining the size of the glass she just drained. "Besides, they're just people like you and me." "You don't understand!" she sat up straight, grabbed another glass of champagne and looked Jeff in the eyes. "This was my country's prime minister, the man I came to meet tonight. I couldn't even say 'hello'." "Yeah, well. Talking to prominent people takes some getting used to. You just have to think of them as regular people that dress nice." "Oh, that's easy for you." She said finishing off the glass of champagne and snatching another from a passing waiter. "You do this all the time." "Not really." Jeff said looking for a place to set Nabiki's original empty'. "My father was always afraid I would screw up somehow and affect relations, or something. So he never allowed me to meet anyone important." Nabiki finished her third glass with a flourish, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Ahhh, you better go easy on that stuff. It can have a rather nasty kick." "Never let you meet anyone important?" Nabiki was clearly one conversation behind. Jeff was beginning to worry about bringing a drunken Nabiki home to a peeved father. "My father once introduced me to a famous British general because I had expressed some interest in military things or something." Jeff said looking around for a clear area to place two more empty glasses. "What happened?" Nabiki asked wiping her eyes. She was beginning to have troubles focusing. "We shook hands and when I went to say something, I belched loudly." Nabiki stared at Jeff incredulously before stifling a small drunken laugh, covering her mouth with one of her hands. "Actually, the general wasn't insulted. He claimed while shaking my hand that it was the most eloquent greeting he had ever received; one worthy of an old soldier." Jeff grinned. "My father acted like I had just singlehandedly killed NATO or something." "No!" Nabiki giggled. It was good to see her smile again; even if it was alcohol induced. "The general even invited me out for an ale." Jeff chuckled. "Of course, my mother insisted we wait until I was of drinking age, the spoil sport." The two laughed together, the earlier indiscretion forgotten. "You know," Nabiki said standing. Big mistake. It took several seconds for her blood to catch up. Only Jeff's arm on hers kept her from flopping over on her backside. Still, she *was* a determined woman. "You're right. They are just like me...us. I'm going to march right [burp] pardon...in there and talk to the prime minister." She started towards the ballroom. "Do you really think that's wise, right now?" Jeff asked as he caught up with her. In her rapidly deteriorating intoxicated state, she could easily say or do something she would regret tomorrow. "I mean, your first impression was such a memorable one. Why spoil it?" "Ah, Jeff-chan." she said waiving a finger in Jeff's face. "Still with the wind song'." "I really think..." Jeff said taking hold of her arm. "NO! Jeff-chan." she protested shaking Jeff's hand off her arm and flashing her famous look of warning'. "I'm going to speak with my country's leading... leader." She made a face and started, once again, for the ballroom. She might have made it, too. Except she misjudged where the door was, tripped over a potted plant, slammed into the door facing, spun around and landed in Jeff's arms before she could collapse onto the patio. Stunned she held her forehead for a few moments, looked questionably at Jeff while trying to make everything return to at least double. "Well, *that* went well. Perhaps you should wait for another day to address the Diet." Jeff suggested. Nabiki nodded groggily as Jeff helped her back to the bench. She couldn't have been too far gone. She made an abortive attempt to grab another glass of champagne from a passing waiter. "Jeff, Jeff, Poor Jeff," she lamented, then started to giggle when she realized the irony of what she had said. "You know, it's really... a pity...that I cannot marry you. Cause you're such a nice guy and my sister Kasu... Kasummm... Kasumani... something, thinks I'm in love with you." "Well, Kasumi is a very wise woman." Jeff was beginning to worry more about being caught with a drunken Nabiki than returning her home. "It's a pity you'll always be too... poor to marry me." she pouted then smiled a crooked little smile. Jeff almost dropped her when she said that. "What are you talking about, Nabiki-kins." he said sweetly but with an edge to his voice. "I... cannot... marry... a... poor... man." she said, poking Jeff's chest with each word. "And *you*, my sweet, caring, but utterly broke, gaijin-chan, are a poor man." "Ah, well. Money isn't everything." Jeff answered, a bit embarrassed at the whole situation. "Yes it is, silly." she said trying to curl up in his lap. "My father, the *great* dojo master, thinks that baka Ramnma-na... is going to *save* the family's business." She waved her arm under Jeff's nose for emphasis. "And you know what? He and my poor, sweet, but totally without a clue sister, are going to leave my dear father without even a place to live." "I...I don't really think..." Jeff strained to say, trying to move her elbow which she had planted in a tender spot. "Oh, but it *will* unless I marry a rich man." she said stretching. "And you're just not rich enough... and you never will be. I know, I've checked you out. You are, how do you Americans say: don't have a piss to pot in." She added a tender flick of Jeff's chin for emphasis. She was actually aiming for his nose. "I'm sure you understand, Jeff-chan." "No, not really." "You know the worst part, Jeff-chan?" she said grabbing his head to keep it from moving. "I really think I *am* in love with you." "Perhaps we should get you somewhere you can have a little lay down." Jeff said, scooping her up in his arms. "I think the library has a couch." She still had some spunk left as she cleanly snatched a whole champagne bottle off a passing waiter's tray. Jeff got her into the library without being seen and set her gently on a large leather couch. He had only a small struggle getting the champagne bottle away from her and was about to go get her an ice bag for her head when she called to him. "Jeff-chan, am I still kawaii?" she said in a baby doll voice. "In an Ernest and Julio way, yes." he answered. "But I think you're really gonna need that ice bag in a few moments." She pouted and looked at him through squinty eyes. "You kissed me." she said in an accusing voice. "Not tonight, I didn't." Jeff was defensive and confused at the same time. "You know what that leads to...And you can't have it." "It?" A glimmer of anger forced its way through her alcohol fogged brain. "All you want in... is to get in my... tiny, pink... panties." She was industriously tucking her skirt in around her legs, sealing her nether regions from attack. "Well, mine is only for my rich rusband...husband." "Lucky guy," Jeff said quietly bemused before turning to leave. "Stay put, and I'll return soon with your ice bag." "Good," she mumbled. "This drink needs some ice." She was holding one of her shoes under her nose. "I think it's gone bad." Jeff just shook his head. he thought. With a sigh, he left in search of an ice bag. He wasn't gone long. Just long enough for her to fall fast asleep, her skirt askew almost to her waist and her shoe draped over her nose. She looked like she had been in a wrestling match and lost. Jeff removed her shoe, set the ice bag on her head and straightened her skirt. He pulled a large comforter over her body before retiring to an overstuffed chair across the room. He had much to think about. Two hours passed before she woke with a start. She frantically, looked about, confused and frightened. "How are you feeling?" Jeff asked quietly from the refuge of his chair. In the darkness, she could just make out where he was sitting. "My head hurts." she answered, pressing what was left of the ice closer to her throbbing head. "How long have I been here?" "The party or the couch?" "In this room." "Well, the party just ended. It's a little after 10 now." Jeff began, looking at his watch. "I'd say...two hours." "I've got to get home. Father will be worried." She crawled out from under the comforter and started gathering up her shoes, dropping the ice bag on the floor. Without a word, Jeff helped her up off the couch and to the door. Before he could open it, Nabiki stopped him. "Ommm. Did anything happen in here?" she asked softly. "Other than you were drunk, cried about the prime minister, tried to drink your shoe, and passed out on the couch?" Jeff listed her evening. "...no.." "You didn't..." "Didn't what?" "You know..." she sounded embarrassed. "No, Nabiki. Your virtue is intact. I'm sure your future husband will appreciate the fact that I didn't take advantage of Nabiki Tendo under the influence." Jeff dead panned. "By the way, pink panties suit you." She stared at him in horror, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. Jeff used his finger tips on her chin to gently shut her mouth. "Can we go now?" Nabiki's look was that of a person frantically trying to sort out the events of this evening. On one hand, she remembered clearly the party, the prime minister, and a glass of champagne. After that...well, it was still a bit fuzzy. she thought. "You need to freshen up before I take you home." Jeff said as he opened the door. His voice was, somehow, less friendly than she remembered earlier in the evening. "I'll show you to the little girls room. While you're in there, I'll get you some aspirin" With that, he guided her, a bit wobbly, up the back way to the ladies powder room. She took only a few minutes to fix her makeup (at least, as much as she could), her hair, straighten her clothes and emerged, after three tries at opening the door, looking almost presentable. "Jeff-chan, I think I should go home now." Nabiki stated timidly. Getting the aspirin down her was a trick best described another time. On the trip home, Jeff asked the driver to stop the car about six blocks from Nabiki's home. Nabiki looked confused when he directed the driver to return to the embassy and that he would walk home. "The fresh air will sober you up enough to get in the house" Jeff said calmly as he helped her out of the car. he thought to himself. Moments later, the couple were alone on the street. A light rain earlier in the evening had left the sidewalks and street glistening. The sky had cleared enough to see the stars above and, on any other night, might have lent a romantic air to the evening. Shyly, Nabiki took Jeff's hand and the couple walked silently hand-in-hand through the darkened neighborhood. Nabiki giggled, still affected by the alcohol, as she slipped off her high heeled shoes. "I haven't walked barefoot in years," she giggled. "I can't have Nabiki-chan hurting her tender feet." Jeff said as he scooped her into his arms. "It might damage her marriageability." Nabiki squealed lightly and wrapped her arms around Jeff's neck, resting her head on his shoulder. She failed to catch the meaning of his words or the detect the trouble ahead. Still, she liked this position and snuggled close, warm and comfortable. Somewhere a dog barked and the bullet train could be heard passing the city. Outside the Tendo residence, Jeff gently set Nabiki down and embraced her tenderly. Through the mist of all the champagne she had consumed, Nabiki's hormones began to stir. The same feelings she had for him on the first date crawled out of their locked closet and took control. She wanted to hold him, to feel his body against hers. She wanted to kiss him over and over, perhaps even ... "Nabiki-chan," Jeff said quietly. "Hai, Jeff-chan?" she answered, her arms around his neck, holding him tight against her. Jeff swallowed hard. "What you said earlier. About marrying a rich man." Nabiki froze for a moment, before slowly sliding out to arms length and staring at Jeff, a look of apprehension on her face. His words sobered her like a cold shower. Her mouth opened but nothing came out. Once again, she fought to remember just what she had said to him. Jeff willingly filled in the gaps. "Nabiki, You said you intend to marry someone rich enough to help your family. This I understand. However, you also said that I could never be that person and that hurt." They were staring intently into each other's eyes now. It was all about to come to a head. Jeff had carefully hidden his future wealth from prying eyes to avoid having to make this speech. Nabiki had sought wealth in a husband, not love, but continued to see Jeff; for what reason she didn't know. He failed, she failed, and everyone was about to get hurt in the fallout. Nabiki had made no secret that she would only settle for a rich man when marrying. True, her motives sounded pure; helping her father when he got older. But the fact that Jeff wasn't going to be able, in her eyes, to fill the requirements of marriage had meant that the last eight months had been a waste of time for both of them. Jeff knew the relationship was doomed but chose to make sure she clearly understood his position, even though she might not remember much of it in the morning. "Nabiki, I love you. I will always love you. When I walk away from here tonight, and I will,... a piece of my heart will remain behind. Wherever you go. Whomever you marry. That piece will always be yours. I hope you find who you are looking for and have a happy life." Nabiki's mouth dropped open. He was dumping her! No one had ever dumped her. What was worse, it was not for some silly reason or even another girl; he was dumping her for the most noble reason of all: because he loved her and wanted her to be happy. He was terminating the relationship so she could get on with the search for a suitably wealthy mate. he thought. Throughout this entire affair, she had drawn the lines and made the rules. Jeff had played within those boundaries, trying to make her love him. But it was a game he now knew he could never win. Therefore, he was prepared to make the sacrifice for her happiness. He would sacrifice his love for her. Simple, clean, and ... painful. Nabiki was instantly flooded with emotions. Rage, because he had expressed his love for her repeatedly over the last eight months and was now dumping her. Fear, because she was about to lose the one person who had ever loved her completely. Anger at herself, for being so selfish. And finally, Self pity, because she couldn't see around her desire to marry wealth to recognize her own love for Jeff. "Konban wa," came Kasumi's voice from the house. "You two wish to come inside for some tea?" Jeff stared at a broken Nabiki before suggesting: "It would be impolite not to accept." "Hai," was her whispered reply. Together, they went inside. Kasumi showed them to the dining table and saw that they were comfortably seated next to each other. Mr. Tendo came in as well and sat across from the couple smiling like a new father-in-law. Nabiki couldn't bring herself to look at either her father or sister. She just stared at her hands in her lap. Everyone just assumed it was bride-to-be shyness. Akane brought in the cups of tea on a tray and placed them on the table. Kasumi set a kettle of steaming water on the table and sat between Jeff and her father on one end of the table while Akane seated herself at the other. It was uncomfortably quiet. Clearly, the assembled expected something memorable to occur this evening. They were not going to be disappointed. "So, how was the embassy ball?" Kasumi asked cheerfully as she poured the hot water into the cups and mixed the tea. "It was a most interesting evening," Jeff responded looking at the table in front of him. "Hai, most... ." Nabiki started softly but failed to finish. Kasumi and Akane exchanged worried glances. Something was terribly amiss. "Tendo-san...Sensi," Jeff began, uncharacteristically stumbling for his words. "I understand from your daughter, Nabiki, that I am not an appropriate suitor for her." The other two sisters gasped. "Furthermore, I feel it would be inappropriate for me to continue seeing your daughter as it would jeopardize her chances at finding a suitable husband." Jeff paused glancing briefly at Nabiki. "I want you to know that it is because I love Nabiki with all my heart that I do this. I cannot bring myself to deprive her of the true love of her life, money." Mr Tendo's eyes moved slowly from Jeff to his middle daughter. He was the only one who saw the single tear roll down her cheek. "I only ask your forgiveness for being unworthy." Jeff ended with a bow towards Mr. Tendo. You could have heard a pin wrapped in cotton drop as Mr. Tendo stiffly returned the formality. Kasumi, eyes wide, was holding her hands in front of her mouth, looking at Nabiki. Akane, jaw set, was gripping the table causing the wood to warp, her mind a whirl of violent things she was going to do to Jeff. Mr. Tendo was the first to break the silence. "Is this true, daughter?" "Father..." she whispered but couldn't finish. He began to say something else but stopped short, closing his eyes and setting his jaw against the shame. Kasumi, accidentally, set off the fireworks: "But Nabiki-chan, I thought you loved Jeff." It could have been the alcohol. It could have been the eight months of living a lie. In any case, something in Nabiki snapped. Jumping to her feet she screamed at Kasumi. "Love?!? Love?!? Is that all you can think about?!? What about money? What about security? Do you know what it takes to get along in this world? You know nothing!" She then turned her wrath on her father. "Ever since mother died, I have worked, schemed, begged, borrowed and did whatever was necessary to keep this family afloat! Kasumi could cook and keep the house. Akane will provide you with an heir to carry on the dojo. What can I give you?!? NOTHING! That's exactly what you'll get, if I marry this yen-less gaijin!" Akane reached up to quiet her sister but Nabiki slapped her hand away. "Nabiki behave yourself!" growled the Mr. Tendo. "Jeff is our guest. Do not dishonor this family further with your display of immaturity." "HONOR!?! Will our honor pay the gas bill? Will our honor feed you? Will our honor pay for the two free-loaders we have living under our roof using all our hot water? Don't speak to me about honor. You can't spend it." Nabiki was clearly on a roll. Years of pent up feelings about her mother, her position, and even her very existence were being vented. If it were dragon breath, half of Nerima would have burned to the ground by now. "Nabiki, let it go. It has to be this way." Jeff said quietly when she paused for a breath. "YOU!" her eyes red with emotion. "The trouble is you!" she paused gasping for breath and fighting her emotions. "Everything was fine before *you* came. The whole trouble is you....me...." she ran out of suspects and did the only thing left to do, run out of the room crying. Kasumi immediately apologized and excused herself to see to her sister. Akane followed giving Jeff a look that would have killed a lesser man. Mr. Tendo simply stared at his cup of tea and cried. Nabiki beat her sisters to her room and threw herself on the bed, crying. Kasumi entered and sat on the end of the bed, waiting for Nabiki to cry herself out. Akane, confused as to what she should do, stood over by Nabiki's open closet and fidgeted. Her solution would be to clobber Jeff. It always worked with Ranma. Neither girl had ever seen Nabiki cry. She never cried; not when she got hurt, not when she was frustrated, not even at their mother's funeral. Nabiki Tendo had always been the one whose shoulder *they* could cry on. The sight of a totally destroyed Nabiki, her body spasming with every sob, was, to say the least, unnerving. After a few minutes, Nabiki's sobs became less regular and she seemed to be taking great gasps of air. "Nab-chan," Kasumi said softly. "I know I'm no substitute for mother, but if she were here, I think I know what she would say." Nabiki slowly rolled over clutching her pillow to look at her older sister, her eyes red and puffy. While she rarely acted like it, she always valued what Kasumi had to say. Tonight, she needed some of her older sister's wisdom and patience. "Marriage is forever." Kasumi started. "It isn't easy under the best conditions. But when two people join together as one, each must sacrifice something on the alter of that union. For the man, it's easy. He has to sacrifice his freedom. He assumes responsibilities to provide for the family; shelter, food, clothing. He can no longer stay out as late as he likes, go wherever he wants, spend whatever he feels like, be with whomever he wishes. He has sacrificed all that to the marriage. Do you understand, Nabiki?" Nabiki weakly nodded, still clutching her tear stained pillow. Even Akane was taking an interest in her older sister's counsel. "The woman must bring something of equal value to the alter for sacrifice. It's different for each woman, but just as hard to give up. It might be her friends, her comfortable existence, or familiar surroundings. Very often it's her dreams. She must sacrifice them for her husband and the family. Whatever it is, it is given out of love for the man; the most important thing in her life." Kasumi had the complete attention of both girls. "Out of the ashes of that sacrifice comes a new life for both. It's that new life that makes a marriage, not the bits and pieces of their past. The goals and dreams are no longer his or hers, but theirs, something they build together." Kasumi took Nabiki's hand. "Mother and father made the sacrifices for their marriage; you said so yourself. And for that sacrifice, they got the three of us. And we, in turn, gave back to them the happiness that only a family can give. Remember how happy we were. Remember all the good times, the love. We only had that because our parents were willing to sacrifice themselves for us." Kasumi paused to let the last sink in. "You have a chance to sacrifice something for Jeff; just as Jeff is ready to sacrifice everything for you. Your dreams of wealth and happiness can work for two as well as one. You said he had a nose for making money. Use that. Build your dreams together." Kasumi paused a few moments before continuing. "Besides, in time, you may discover that there are more important things than wealth." she placed her hand on her sister's stomach. "Especially when you feel it move for the first time." Nabiki smiled painfully, fighting back more tears, covered her sister's hand with her own. Suddenly, she wanted to cry again. She had been selfishly chasing shadows; things that would mock her vain attempts at capture. Wealth is not a stable foundation upon which to build a relationship. Only the mutual love of two people can support the building of a successful marriage. Anything else is too weak to survive the trials of life. Jeff's love, something she could hold on to forever, had been there for the taking and she had just rejected it. She could still become rich, only *with* Jeff instead of in place of him. Nabiki crawled up and hugged Kasumi. "Mother would have been proud," she whispered. "I know," Kasumi whispered back. "Mother gave me the same speech when I was young and foolish." Nabiki now knew why she loved her sister so much and why Kasumi always seemed at peace with the world. She knew the answers AND the questions. Akane, feeling awkward, fought back her own tears. She understood better what was expected of her relationship with Ranma. She understood what was expected of a wife-to-be. She understood... (looking in the closet)...that Nabiki had been stealing her clothes for months! Half the damn stuff in there was her's. she thought. "There's still time." Kasumi whispered. "Go to him." Nabiki kissed her sister's cheek, sprung from the bed and scampered down stairs. The room was dark, all the lights having been turned off. A lone candle in the middle of the table struggled to burn. Only one figure was still seated at the table, her father. "He's gone." Was all he said. "How...how long?" Nabiki begged, looking vainly out past the garden to the street. "Too long. He left with his honor; for that is all you allowed him to keep." There was a long pause as Nabiki dropped to her knees next to her father. Tears started flowing again. Slowly, she placed her head in his lap. Too late. She had screwed up business deals in the past and felt really rotten afterwards. This was a hundred times worse. This was the worst failure of her life. Instead of providing for her father, like she wanted, she failed him, she failed the family, and, worst of all, she failed herself. "I'm sorry, daddy." Mr. Tendo just stroked his daughter's hair as she quietly cried. Jeff wasn't at school Monday. In fact, no one could recall seeing him anywhere. Ranma confirmed that Jeff no longer went to the dojo and phone calls to the embassy went unreturned. There were even rumors that he had left the country. All this had a profound affect on Nabiki. She stopped her usual wheeling and dealing, even to the point of no longer offering odds on various sporting and social events. Her investments went untended and her loans went uncollected. Yuka and Sayuri tried to keep the schemes going but were clearly not up to the task. Nabiki seemed to just drift from class to class. Oh, she responded to everyone okay. It was just that you got the feeling she wasn't all there. Those who knew her best, could confirm that she wasn't. The last day of class came around and yearbooks were happily passed out. Yuka and Sayuri tried to get Nabiki involved in the usual signings and pictures but she wouldn't be moved from her desk. She stiffly leafed through her yearbook until she came to the pages of senior pictures. Nabiki's picture was on the upper right corner of the page. It was taken during happier times and reflected a young woman confident in the world. She was alright until she noticed who's picture was on the opposite page, in exactly the right place so that their pictures would be together when the book was closed. It was Jeff Lawrence. Nabiki just stared at the photograph looking like she would start crying again at any moment. Nothing they could do would snap her out of it. Jeff packed purposefully a few things in his suitcase. He was leaving, going home to a country he had never really known. He had turned 18 and was no longer a dependant of a member of the embassy staff. His diplomatic immunity had run out and he had 90 days to leave. That was the bad news. The good news had come that morning. His parents had gathered him in a small office with the same lawyer who had brought him the news of the inheritance several months before. Jeff barely remembered the words the lawyer spoke, his mind was across town at Furinkan High School. All he could think about was Nabiki. Her smile haunted him when he closed his eyes. The smell of her perfume, the warmth of her body, the softness of her kiss. He could hear her voice over and over again, saying how it was a pity he was too poor to marry. Jeff thought as he thrust the last of his clothes in the bag. Dressed in khaki slacks, a knit sport shirt topped by a light blazer, Jeff looked like the millionaire he now was. He thought of how ironic it was that the only girl he ever loved wouldn't marry him because she thought him too poor. "Well, well, well." came a voice at the door. "Is our little brother about leave town. "Looks to me like little brother's forgettin somethin." Jeff knew those voices. They belonged to two members of the Marine Guard Detachment. Probably, two of the closest friends he had in Japan. Perhaps, the closest friends he ever had. Ever since he moved to Japan, he got up every morning and ran with the Marines. At first, he kept his distance; respectful of the fact of who they were and who he wasn't. But as soon as they noticed he could keep up with them, he was invited to officially join them. That led to other activities with them. He had become kind of a mascot to some; a little brother to the rest. In any case, he was treated like one of the Marine family'. And, no one, dissed a member of this family. "Guys," Jeff said quietly. "It's over, she threw me out, remember?" "Bull! She loves you, man." "I wasn't..." Jeff started. Feeling his own tears well up again, he took a deep breath before continuing. He wasn't going to start crying again, especially in front of the Marines. "I wasn't the person she wanted to marry." "That was the po' you, boy. Wait till she gets a look of the rich you." The two Marines laughed. "But that's just the point," Jeff sighed as he turned to sit on his bed. "If she wouldn't marry me when I was poor, how could I be sure she wouldn't be marrying me only for my money now that I'm rich?" The two Marines looked at each other. "Look, kid. When you dumped her, did she make a scene?" "Yeah, she cried and yelled, and caused a big scene in front of her family. So what's your point." Jeff was curious where this was all going. "Because Japanese chicks don't do that. They would rather die than embarrass themselves that way in public. Look, I'm no expert on marriage. At least my ex-wife would agree on that. But I *know* when a woman is really in love with a guy. Jeffrey, my boy, THAT lady is in love with you. She proved it by the way she embarrassed herself." "Then why the rejection?" Jeff was beginning to see their point but was having trouble putting it all in perspective. "Family. Family is very strong in these people. You have *got* to respect that when dealing with them. She's just pulling the old I'm going to sacrifice myself for my family' routine by insisting on marrying only a rich man. She loves *you*, boy" Somehow all the parts had eluded him until today. What she said; Kasumi could cook and clean, Akane could provide an heir, Nabiki could only... provide for the family. It finally all fit. Her father. The dojo. The fact that she felt alone in providing for the family; doing the job of a man. She *was* doing the old self sacrifice bit for her family. That's why she made such a scene. That's why she couldn't face him that night. That's why... "Oh, God." he groaned as he leaned forward and held his head with his hands. "If it were me, boy. I'd give the girl one last chance to come to her senses. Poor or rich, she's gotta break if you force the issue." "What day is it?" Jeff asked through his hands. "Friday. Why?" "Last day of school. I know right where to find her." Jeff jumped to his feet and headed for the door. One of the Marines stopped him with a hand to his shoulder. "You might need some backup, kid. We all heard of how the guys at that school hassled you. It was a disgrace. Why don't a couple of us go with you to, say, even the odds." Jeff gave the Marine a friendly backhand into his rock-hard stomach. "Sorry guys. This is one thing I gotta do myself. If I can't walk alone into a Japanese high school and leave with the girl I love, well, having an entire Marine division there wouldn't change a thing." Both men slapped Jeff on the back and pushed him on his way. "Go getem, boy." "Oooh Rahh!" Soon Jeff was around the corner and gone. One Marine turned to the other as they started to follow. "Think he'll be alright?" "He'll do fine." "Maybe we ought to trail him. Just in case." "OK. Besides, I always wanted to see a ninja in action." "You really believe all that stuff?" "Hey. You ever play darts with him?" Jeff had the driver of the limousine stop and let him out two blocks from the school. "Give me 30 minutes and meet me at the front gate. There might be another passenger." Walking the remaining way, Jeff set his jaw and resolved nothing would keep him from Nabiki today. He would get an answer, yes or no, before he got on that plane. Jeff paused at the gate, taking in all the sights and sounds of the old school. he thought as he removed his sunglasses. Jeff slowly walked the sidewalk leading to the main doors, listening to the happy voices coming from the classrooms. Just inside the front doors, things turned sour. Three familiar Kendo Club teammates blocked the main stairs just inside the building. These were the same boys who had blocked his entry to the library every day, refused him a place at their table, denied him a chance to participate in school activities of any kind. Now, they were trying to keep him from the most important rendezvous of his life. "So, you decided to come back." one observed drawing his bokkan. "No filthy gaijin will ever cross the threshold of this school again." another added holding his wooden blade at the ready. "Leave now, of face the wrath of the Samurai of Furinkan Senior High." Jeff's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. Every fibre of his body prepared. He couldn't go back without abandoning Nabiki forever and the way forward was blocked. He was trapped. Master Sato's words echoed in his mind: A cornered animal is the most dangerous.' Jeff was now that cornered animal. One of the swordsmen made the mistake of his life by quickly changing positions. Accounts of what happened next differ. Not even the three swordsmen can recall for sure. One moment they were blocking the way to the school and the next found two of them, upside down, heading for the glass windows flanking the front doors. The third staggered backwards, collapsing on the floor, his bokkan held in front of him with two throwing stars sticking out it. Had that wooden sword not been there, those stars would have imbedded themselves deep in the student's chest, a point not lost on the victim. Only Jeff knew that the stars struck exactly where he intended. They were a warning to the remaining would-be samurai and anyone else that might think of getting in his way. He was going to Nabiki's third floor classroom and woe-be-to-he who got in his way. Those students and faculty who witnessed the incident immediately scurried to make themselves scarce. John Wayne was in town and looking for Maureen OHara. Jeff ascended the stairs past the second floor. Few noticed his passing. However, Akane, signing a couple of girls' yearbooks, caught sight of Jeff as he turned to climb the stairs to the next floor. Her jaw dropped open and the books she was holding clattered to the floor. Suddenly, she felt the cold chill of fear. Fear for her sister Nabiki. Fear of what Jeff was here to do. Fear that she was inadequate to do anything about it. Her father had warned her to never cross Jeff. He never said why, exactly, but hinted that Jeff was more than he appeared and could, if motivated, be a truly lethal adversary. His determined look as he passed the second floor clearly spoke of his motivation. Nabiki was in danger. Frantically, she looked around for Ranma. She might not be good enough but Ranma could stop anybody. She quickly dashed down the hall looking for her wayward fiance. This was family business and, like it or not, Ranma was family... practically. As Jeff walked down the hallway, students quickly moved to make themselves part of the walls. No one wanted to tangle with this crazy gaijin as he inexorably made his way to Nabiki's classroom. It didn't take him long. "NABIKI TENDO!!!" Jeff yelled from the back of the room. Nabiki snapped back to reality and immediately froze in place. The room quickly grew quiet as a tomb. Suddenly, she was terrified of what Jeff would do in this state. She had stumbled upon his shinobi background shortly before the embassy ball and knew full well what it meant. She knew how the clans were very much into honor feuds. She had rejected him, spurned him, embarrassed him. He had every reason to seek revenge for such indignities. Nabiki had hoped because Jeff was not Japanese, he would not seek shinobi retribution. His presence her argued otherwise. A thousand fates swirled through her mind, each more gruesome than the last. She swallowed hard and waited. Jeff started up an isle towards the front of the room where Nabiki sat, ripping off his blazer in the process and throwing it away. Two desks blocked Jeff's path. Slowly, his eyes still on Nabiki, he reached down, placed his fingers under their shells, and gently tipped them over. The sound of each impacting the floor echoed through the room. It had the desired affect on Nabiki; she flinched with each crash. That's how it went, Jeff slowly working his way to the front of the room, the only sound of his approach was a slight squeak of a desk as he slowly pushed it out of his way. Each noise caused Nabiki to flinch slightly. She never turned to look. She knew where he was and there wasn't anywhere to run to anyway. It was like waiting on a track for a slow train to run over you. It was shadow warrior psychological warfare at its finest. Jeff finished in front of her desk and paused staring down at her face. She still held the book in front of her, frozen in place, not daring to meet his gaze. Nothing in the entire school moved. Gently, Jeff slid the desk from in front of Nabiki, set it aside and, with an afterthought, tipped it over. The crash caused Nabiki to flinch as if she had been shot, her eyes screwed tightly shut. Again, Jeff turned to Nabiki. Her hands were beginning to tremble. With no expression whatsoever, Jeff gently grasped the book, slid it out of her hands, looked at it, looked at her and tossed it over his shoulder. It sounded like a shot when it hit the floor. Immediately, Nabiki folded her hands in her lap and stared at them. A single tear crawled down her left cheek and took the plunge to her school uniform skirt. Nabiki prayed. For the first time in her life, she truly feared for her safety. But if she had to die, at least it would be by his hands. The last shred of Nabiki the self-confident businesswoman had disappeared. All that remained was Nabiki the woman; scared, vulnerable, and awaiting her fate. Slowly, Jeff placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned in close, perhaps closer than they were the first time they met, so many months ago. She trembled noticeably, a tiny whimper escaped her lips. "Nabiki Tendo!" he said forcefully but clearly without malice in his voice. "I will ask you only one time: WILL... YOU... MARRY... ME?" This caused a slight tremor of voices to run through the assembled student body. Trembling, a confused look came over her face. Her mouth opened slightly and she was on the verge of hyperventilating. For the second time in her life with Jeff, she was fighting every argument she had ever thought against marrying him. She wanted to run, she wanted to cry, but most of all, she wanted to answer. "WELL?!" Nabiki flinched again. Jeff was being loud, forceful but totally in control. He wasn't leaving until he got an answer; yes or no. She would decide if he would leave alone. Several students shushed the others and the room again grew quiet again. John Wayne would have been proud. Inside Nabiki, everything was happening in ultra slow motion. Her mouth opened slowly. Words formed and were lost several times. Kasumi's voice echoed through her mind debating that of her own: <...there are more important things than wealth...I WILL NOT MARRY A POOR MAN!...Love is the key, not wealth...I will *not* be poor like mother!... sacrifice something for the marriage...but what about *her* dreams...are you so sure we were not part of her dreams?> He waited for, what seemed like, hours. She did not answer. Time was up. "I see. I understand. The answer is No'." he said standing up. He stared at her for a few seconds before turning to leave. In his mind, she confirmed the rejection. He would leave only with what was left of his dignity. He had a plane to catch. Stiffly he walked towards the door. he thought. Somewhere, far off, Nabiki heard a voice that sounded like hers say" "Hai", so softly she immediately questioned if it ever happened at all. The crowd began to murmur again as they glanced between Jeff and Nabiki. In Nabiki's mind, panic alarms were going off. For the second time, he was leaving; this time for good. Any second he would be out the door and gone. She had been given a second chance and was about to blow it, too. With a supreme effort she stood up and turned to face the receding Jeff. "Jeff-chan" she said just loud enough to be heard. Jeff kept walking. "Jeff!" her voice sounded like a mix of fear and questioning. At the door, Jeff stopped and slowly turned to face Nabiki. For several seconds, they stood silently. A gentle breeze through the windows stirred her school uniform skirt and blew some hair across her face. The tear trail on her cheek glistened in the natural light of the room. She had embarrassed him in front of her family. She humiliated him at the mountain spa. At times, she treated him with great disrespect. Through it all, Jeff refused to give up; refused to abandon the pursuit. It was now her turn. If she truly loved him, she would overcome the embarrassment she was now going through to answer. She knew he wasn't going to wait forever. The whole room held its breath. Nabiki stood, head down, her hands held down the front of her skirt. She knew everyone was watching, how could they not? The embarrassment was greater than anything she could remember. "Nabiki" Jeff said softly taking a step towards her. Almost timidly, she looked at him; their eyes locked. She saw his face, his eyes, a little smile. She slowly started walking towards Jeff. Suddenly, she wanted him more than ever. More than money, more than anything. She now knew the exact words. Like a little girl, running to the safe, protective arms of her mother, Nabiki ran to Jeff and threw herself into his arms shouting: "HAI! Jeff-chan! Hai! Hai! Hai!". They folded into a passionate embrace, rocking together in joy. All the time she was repeating over and over: "Hai. I love you!" The stunned reaction of the students remaining on the third floor quickly gave way to loud applause and shouts of congratulations. Nabiki's two cohorts hugged each other, smiling and crying. Nabiki just clung to Jeff, tears flowing freely and vowing to herself to never let him go again. She didn't care who heard. She didn't care who saw. As long as she had Jeff, she was content with the world. Jeff, always looking for a dramatic exit, swept Nabiki off her feet and carried her towards the hall. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. "I know we can make it together," she said over the chaos surrounding them. "Together, we will make our fortune. We can live with my family. Go to school. I can make you happy...I know I can...I love you." Jeff just smiled. Was she in for a surprise. How much? Let's just say, not even Nabiki would be able to spend the fortune awaiting the two of them now. A fortune he had carefully hidden from everyone outside his family. A fortune that had to remain secret because Jeff wanted, most of all, to marry for love. Only true love would marry a poor man. Jeff Lawrence had to look the part, act the part, be the part. The girl had to make the choice based on his apparent financial status. Nabiki Tendo just made that choice, and she made it for all the right reasons. But there would be plenty of time to discuss that. For now Jeff carried his bride-to-be through the halls of Furinkan High School to their waiting limousine. Never, in her wildest dreams could she imagine leaving her high school this way; being carried from the building by her fiance while all her friends and classmates cheered and applauded, wishing it were them. "Don't forget us, Nabiki." Yuka called. "We'll be bridesmaids." Nabiki winked at them and smiled. "How romantic," Akane sighed as the couple passed. "I wish someone would sweep me off my feet and carry me off to live happily ever after." "Oh?" Ranma replied, a curious look on his face. "Yes, It'd be..." her voice trailed off as their eyes locked. She couldn't be sure but she could have sworn she saw something. Something deep in his eyes. For a short, shining moment, she could have sworn she saw a flicker of actual compassion for her. It was small. It was deep. But it was there, nevertheless. Maybe... Ranma was the first to snap back to reality. "He'd have to be pretty strong," "I am *not* fat!" Akane yelled back, stunned. "Tomboyishly chunky, I'd say," Ranma said stretching. They were on a roll again. "You're such a jerk!" "And you're a stupid girl!" "Pervert!" "Uncute tomboy!" Further conversation' was interrupted by both being struck on the head simultaneously with thrown year books. Jeff had tossed one; Nabiki the other. "Hey!" they both yelled. "GROW UP THE BOTH OF YOU!" everyone in the hall including Jeff and Nabiki yelled. Stunned, neither Akane nor Ranma could think of a thing to say. **************************************************** That's all for Part 1, kids. Stay tuned for Part 2 - Wedding Bell Blues as Jeff, Nabiki and the whole gang take off for a Hawaiian wedding. Sound simple? Not on your life. Kuno and his crazy sister, Kodachi, think the wedding is for Ranma and Akane and vow it will never take place. The only problem is, they have no idea where in Hawaii the wedding is going to occur. Add in a Chinese Panda bear kidnaping, mistaken identities and repeated attempts on Jeff's life by a jealous cousin who would be next in line for the inheritance and you have a wedding romp with a surprise ending. Part 3 - Honeymoon Hell is just around the corner. Back in Japan, Jeff and Nabiki try everything to have a night alone. Will they get one? Not with the help of their friends. What's worse, Jeff's own shinobi clan is out for his head. Why? Stay tuned to see. One thing's for sure; they don't make ninja like they used to. Your comments are welcome at: sandborn@microlink.net OR sandborn@burnsmcd.com Greg Sandborn (aka: Uncle Fester) Home on the range at: sandborn@microlink.net sandborn@burnsmcd.com **************************************************************** Pushing the envelope of fan fiction till my stamp gets canceled. This is version 2 of part 2 of my series of Nabiki stories. Please refer to Nabiki Pt 2 Ver 2 (or Nabiki 2/2) in any C&C. This is a continuation of my big experiment in otaku-wish-fulfillment type writing. My goal is to prove that the genre itself is not responsible for all the bad things said about it, but rather the quality of writing that invariably surrounds that type of story. What I want to do is produce an entertaining and interesting story that includes a character that every male reader would connect with in a wish-fulfillment way. Heck, who wouldn't want to be this character. He's got a lot going for him along with a beautiful woman (Nabiki) for a fiance. What's not to like? Who's saying what to whom? A common problem in writing mixed language dialog. Since I am writing this story for western English speaking readers, I have made sure that you, the reader, can follow the dialog no matter what language the speaker is using. Keeping in mind that the Japanese characters in the Ranma =AB universe speak virtually NO English, you have to conclude that when attempting to communicate with any of them, the speaker has to be speaking Japanese. However, the Jeff Lawrence character and others, being fairly well versed in both languages, would use whatever language they felt the listener would understand best (say, Japanese to the Tendos and English to the other Americans). This standard language utilization is valid unless denoted otherwise. Nabiki-New Horizons Part 2 - Wedding Bell Blues By Uncle Fester As Jeff carried Nabiki down the stairs of Furinkan Senior High School, a growing crowd of celebrating students followed noisily. "Is this enough of an exit for you?" Jeff said over the din of the crowd. Nabiki just smiled and snuggled a bit more, comfortable in Jeff's strong arms. To others, she had been a cold, calculating ice queen; good for a few expensive laughs until the guy's money ran out. Then, she was off to new conquests. Jeff had been patient and persistent. She had responded to him; but only when forced to choose. At the bottom of the stairs, one of Jeff's earlier antagonists still slumped against the wall clutching his bokkan in front of him. Two of Jeff's throwing stars still adorned the bokkan's smooth surface. Ranma bent over the student and examined the throwing stars carefully. "You're very lucky, you know." he said with mock seriousness. "Ninjas usually aim for the head." With that, the student's eyes rolled back up into his head as he passed out. "Hmmm. No sense of humor." Ranma muttered as he pulled the stars from the unconscious student's bokkan. Turning each over and back in his hand, he looked for identifying marks. There was only one, a word in English that said: 'Gotcha!'. These were *not* from a ninja clan. In fact, he examined them closer and concluded they were homemade. Not to suggest they were crude by any standards, their craftsmanship reflected a thorough knowledge of shuriken construction. For someone to be able to build and use such devices with the amount of skill displayed here today, suggested there was more at work here than anyone knew. Suspiciously, he jiggled the stars in his hand for a few moments while watching Jeff and Nabiki lead the crowd out of Furinkan High. He had never thought Jeff capable of much when it came to fighting, having seen him in action at the Tendo Dojo, but his suspicions were raised. There was more here than meets the eye. Pocketing the stars, Ranma joined the trailing crowd. Jeff and Nabiki slowly made their way to the main gate. Waiting for them was a real limousine, its passenger door open, the driver standing by. "Jeff-chan, you shouldn't have spent the money for this car." Nabiki protested when she saw the limousine. "Things are going to be tight enough until you can start a job." Jeff was about to answer when two Marine Corps humvees with four Marines dressed in full camouflage pulled up along side the limo. "Yo, bro." called one of the Marines Jeff recognized from the embassy. "What the heck are you doing here." Jeff was a bit indignant at their presence. "I thought I told you I could handle this on my own." "We're not here to help with the extraction." another guard said leaning on the hood of his vehicle. "We're just gonna see you don't get lost. After all, we're duty bound to protect our country's rich and influential." Nabiki's English vocabulary was limited to certain business related words. "Rich... influential?" Nabiki looked questionably at Jeff. These words she completely understood. "Haven't you told her yet?" the first guard asked in mock surprise. "She really ought to know." "Jeff-chan, I don't fully understand what this military person is saying, but I've got a feeling there is something you should be telling me." Nabiki said . Jeff shot the Marines a warning look. It must have worked as both made faces and ducked back into their vehicle. "Nabiki, dear, I think you will need to sit down for this." Jeff said as he set Nabiki on the back seat of the limo. As she scooted over, Jeff slid in next to her and the driver closed the door. Akane and Ranma, after finally working their way to the front of the crowd, looked at each other in confusion. "What's going on in there?" Ranma asked out loud pointing to the black limo. "How should I know?" Akane replied as she tried to see through the car's tinted glass. "What are you two doing?" one of the Marine guards asked in stilted Japanese. "That's my sister in there." Akane answered pointing to the back seat of the limo. "One of the Tendo girls, heh. Well, you better get in with us and we'll drive you home with the lucky couple." Akane scurried over to the humvee leaving Ranma looking like an abandoned puppy. "What about the Chinese guy?" the guard asked. "Huh? Oh, Ranma." "Is he a Tendo too?" "Well, sort of..." "Sort of what?" "We're sort of...you see...I mean..." Akane was having trouble explaining the unexplainable. "I live with the Tendo's." Ranma calmly said. The Marine did a double take between Akane and Ranma, shrugged his shoulders and waived the two of them to his vehicle. The two teens settled into opposite seats in the back of the humvee. All parties concerned were thankful for the high transmission hump between them. Meanwhile, in the back of the limo, Jeff was explaining fiscal reality to Nabiki. I was a VERY interesting, but short conversation. "Well?" Nabiki eyed Jeff critically, her arms crossed. Jeff took a deep breath before proceeding. "You want examples or just a round total?" "Just give me the bottom line." her eyes narrowed into their characteristic slits. When it came to money, she was no nonsense. "Roughly?" "Whatever!" Jeff reached into his pants pocket and handed Nabiki the accounting overview he received this morning. "Give or take." he noted. Nabiki couldn't read most of the English written on the paper, but understood fully the numbers. When she got to the bottom line, her eyes grew wide, she blinked twice then passed out, slumping against Jeff's shoulder. "I think she handled *that* well." Jeff said with a little smile. "Home James" he joked in English before directing the driver to the Tendo residence. The arrival at the Tendo residence was just short of a parade. A large black Mercedes limousine followed by two Marine humvees drew a growing crowd curious onlookers. The limo stopped in front of the main gate, the humvees right behind but out of sight of the residence. "I wonder who that could be." Kasumi said. She had been attracted by the commotion out front. With a damp plate in hand, she opened the front door and strained to see why such a magnificent vehicle had stopped at the entrance to the humble Tendo compound. The limo driver walked briskly around to the rear door and opened it formally. Jeff Lawrence was the first to emerge followed quickly by Nabiki Tendo. Kasumi gasped and dropped the dish. "Father! Father, come quickly!" she yelled, clutching the towel to her chest as she scurried through the house. "It's Nabiki and she's with...Jeff!" Clearly, the assumption around the Tendo household was that they had seen the last of Nabiki's would-be suitor. Mr. Tendo hurried into the main room with Mr. Saotome. Both came to an abrupt halt, their mouths open, upon seeing Jeff with Nabiki round the corner of the house. "Soun Tendo," Jeff addressed Nabiki's father formally with a polite bow. "I have returned with your daughter. I wish to discuss with you the terms you require for her hand in marriage." Nabiki bowed with her proclaimed fianc=82, clearly enjoying the formality of the situation. Usually, she detested such traditions, thinking them relics of a useless past, but most of the neighborhood was now watching. The sight of four battle dressed US Marines taking positions to guard the gate was more than enough to keep the curious outside. It was evident the Marines were determined that nothing was going to interrupt their 'little brother's' big moment. Kasumi sighed contentedly and scurried off to prepare some tea for the ceremony. Ranma and Akane pushed their way through the crowd to be on hand. Ranma acted unimpressed but Akane was clearly starry eyed. In her mind, she saw, first her sister, then herself, in a beautiful white wedding dress standing in a magnificent cathedral surrounded by all her friends who were dividing their time between fussing over her dress and whispering enviously about her looks. she thought as she hurried inside. Mr. Tendo, eyes already watering, simply nodded and indicated two cushions at the table. Mr. Saotome just beamed like a successful matchmaker. In spite of the fact he had nothing to do with this pair, he believed their engagement would provide incentive for his reluctant son to follow through with Akane. Lord knows, the boy needed incentive. Several minutes later, Jeff and Nabiki sat stiffly across the table from Mr. Tendo and Mr. Saotome. Akane and Ranma assumed their positions with their backs to the garden. Kasumi brought sufficient tea cups to the table and began pouring the hot water for tea. "Mr. Tendo," Jeff began, using his most formal voice. "A few weeks ago, I left this house in disgrace. Since then, much in my life has changed. Accordingly, I have formally asked your daughter, in front of witnesses, to marry me." Jeff glanced at a still wistfully looking Akane and a bored looking Ranma. "I have come to ask you for your blessing in marriage to your middle daughter, Nabiki." Mr. Tendo, tears now streaming down his cheeks, looked at Nabiki. "Is this true, daughter?" he said formally. "Hai, father." she responded with a respectful bow. "What of your previous objections?" he asked. Nabiki looked briefly at Kasumi's smiling face, grateful for her older sister's support. "I am wiser now, father. I would marry Jeff-san, with your permission." She knew full well that her father's blessing was guaranteed but went through with the formality anyway. "Besides, he's rich." "WHAT!?!" All present gasped loud enough to be heard by the crowd outside. "You put us through all that trauma over marrying a poor Jeff Lawrence and he turns out to be rich?" Akane was clearly peeved but she didn't know just who at, Jeff or Nabiki. "How rich?" Ranma asked, a skeptical look on his face. "Rich enough for me." Nabiki chirped, cuddling Jeff's arm. Somewhat taken aback by his daughters revelation, not to mention her public show of affection, Mr. Tendo abruptly stopped crying. "He's...I mean...you mean he's..." His eyes glazed over. If Nabiki was satisfied, Jeff must be loaded! Only Mr. Saotome's strong arm prevented him from pitching forward onto the table. "So, Nab-chan, when do you two wish to be married?" Kasumi asked sweetly while pouring more hot water into tea filled cups. "Well..." Nabiki started looking apprehensively at Jeff. "We haven't really discussed that part." "If I may suggest." Jeff began. "I propose to be married in Hawaii next month. The whole room gasped as if Jeff had suggested something unseemly. Mr. Tendo was the first to tackle the subject. "Are you suggesting that this ancestral family home, a home in which my late wife and I were married, a home in which my three daughters were born, is unsuitable for a wedding?" "Not at all, sir." Jeff was clearly trying to defuse a sensitive subject. "I am proposing to fly all of you, and your selected guests, to Hawaii where Nabiki and I will be married in a little Japanese-American church on top of a hill overlooking the central plains of Oahu." Jeff paused before revealing the last of his reasons. "Besides, If I don't get married on American soil, I don't get the full inheritance." After a long pause, Mr. Saotome slipped in a question. "Are you saying that we all would be flown, free, to Hawaii for this wedding?" "Certainly." "All expenses paid?" "Of course." "And you get the money if you marry in Hawaii?" "That's about the size of it." "I'm for it." Mr. Saotome sat back satisfied that he had arranged a free trip to Hawaii. The fact he would be, eventually, related to all that money heavily colored his decision. "And accommodations?" Mr. Tendo was still unsure of all this. "Will be provided as well." Jeff assured everyone. There was a great deal of glancing at each other. "Did I mention the beach luau bachelor party?" The two fathers just grinned at each other. Nabiki was, however, not amused. "You remember what I first called you?" she said quietly to Jeff. "Incredibly wise gaijin?" "Nope" "Loving Jeff-chan?" "Uh-uh." "Toady worm?" "Bingo." "Hey, a guy is supposed to have a party the night before his wedding. You want me to break a tradition?" Jeff looked shocked. "There better not be any women at this little 'tradition' of yours." she said with crossed arms and a warning look. "You want this wedding to happen or not?" Nabiki just increased the severity of her look. "I have to get the fathers to go along with this." Jeff hissed. "Cut me some slack here." Nabiki turned to look at the fathers who were excitedly talking among themselves. "Okay, It's a deal." Mr. Tendo said with a smile. "Hawaii it is." Then turning to Kasumi: "Do you think Mrs. Suzuki would be willing to watch the place while we are gone?" "I'm sure she would be happy to as her wedding gift to Nabiki." Kasumi said sweetly. "She always liked Nabiki." Nabiki looked at Jeff, made a face and shuddered. She didn't really get on with old people. An overly affectionate and elderly Mrs. Suzuki was one she made special care to avoid. The rest of the discussion surrounded preparations for securing the residence, talks about dresses and tuxedos, and what everyone was going to see in Hawaii. "I think the whole thing is so romantic." Akane finally sighed, with visions of Nabiki, dressed in white, standing in a grove of palm trees to get married. "Seems to me a long way to go to get hitched." Ranma said. Before Akane could react, Mr. Saotome interceded. "Boy, you need a lesson in courtship." With that, he grasped his son's tunic and tossed him across the yard and into the pond. The Marine guards heard the commotion and, fearing that Jeff had been thrown out on his head, quickly converged on the pond. They abruptly came up short as a buxom red-headed female emerged dripping wet. Four jaws hit the ground at the same time. "What are *you* looking at?" Ranma yelled at the four gaping Marines. One Marine nudged another and said: "See, I told you these Tendo chicks are hot." Ranma, oblivious to the fact her top was now plastered to her ample charms, glared at her audience. "Butt out, jarheads. I'm a guy, okay?" The Marines reaction was predictable. It was a beautiful Hawaiian morning at the Honolulu Zoo where a special ceremony was taking place. "It is with a great deal of pride I welcome the representatives from the Peoples Republic of China and their traveling Panda exhibit." the American Vice-President said. Standing next to him on the platform was the Chinese Minister of Pandas, his eight assistants, an interpreter, four people with weird sounding zoological degrees (or something reasonably academic), six secret service agents, and two guys with oversized pooper scoopers. Understandably, it was crowded. The Minister of Pandas whispered something to his interpreter. Turning to the American Veep, the interpreter asked: "The minister wants to know how your country is willing to contribute to the welfare of our wild pandas?" Doing his best wooden indian imitation, the modern politician quickly weighed the political cost of every possible answer, factored in the latest CNN/ABC polling data, considered the first lady's desires and reached his conclusion. "We are prepared to dedicate whatever it takes to depopulate those areas required to protect the endangered panda species. Mankind is the greatest enemy of nature so we are willing to declare war on mankind to protect every conceivable species on earth, even those whose existence we don't know about yet. America is solidly behind all endangered species, whatever it takes." The American Veep said, almost showing some emotion. The translator wrinkled his nose at the thought of depopulating one quarter of China for a stupid bear and changed the translation slightly: "The American Vice President agrees that they should help and has pledged next year's entire tax receipts to that end." The Chinese Minister of Panda's smiled, the American Vice President smiled, and the guys with pooper scoopers moved in to clean up. Somewhere nearby, two shadowy figures watched with great interest as the pandas were unloaded into a minimum security cage. "What do you think?" the tall, slender one asked in a husky voice. "Piece of cake." he replied. "We steal truck, sneak in after dark, disable guards, and steal the pandas." "And then?" "What else? We demand an exorbitant ransom fee." In a palatial residence in an upscale section of Beverly Hills, California, Montgomery Phillips, spoiled nephew of the late Ronald and Ruth Phillips, was putting on an ash tray and lamp throwing exhibition. "I knew those @#&%*@ people would leave all their *@$#&#@ money to the stinking weasel Jeffrey." he screamed. "I'm better qualified than...!" His fit was interrupted by the butler announcing the arrival of his personal lawyer. As the attorney came into the room, Monty launched his attack: "I want my late uncle's money. Is there any way to fight that damn will?" "I'm afraid not, sir." the attorney replied, slightly shaken by Monty's verbal assault. "According to my sources, it would appear to be iron clad." Physical assault was another matter, he ducked a poorly thrown ash tray. "Why do I pay you vultures when you can't even get a simple thing like a will contested?" Monty flopped down in an overstuffed chair, exasperated. "If I may, sir?" the lawyer continued. "There is no direct way to contest the will. However, there appears to be a small ambiguity in what would happen should Mr. Jeffery Lawrence be... incapacitated." "Go on, you interest me." Monty was calm now. He always became calm while hatching a plan. "Well, to put it bluntly, if Jeffrey Lawrence were to meet with an... 'accident', the usual result would be to resort to another heir." The slimy lawyer rubbed his hands together thinking of the large 'bonus' he would receive should this scheme work. "An accident, huh?" Monty leaned back, deep in thought. "Now, *that* has possibilities." Three weeks later, back at the Tendo residence, Kasumi was briefing Mrs. Suzuki on all the details about their trip, making sure she had all the telephone numbers necessary. "I think it's wonderful that little Nabiki is getting married." the old woman croaked. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if it could be a double or even a triple wedding?" She smiled a toothless smile. Kasumi just smiled sadly and nodded almost self consciously. "I'm afraid Akane is closer to being wed than I." She added. "Ah yes, little Akane." the old woman nodded, and tried to remember what the little girl looked like. "Isn't she promised in marriage to some strange Chinese boy?" "No, Suzuki-sempi," Kasumi sighed. "Ranma Saotome is Japanese." "And a damned strange one." the old lady finished. "Well, you got me there." Kasumi muttered to herself. "You have everything you need should there be any trouble." Kasumi said more reassuring herself than the old lady. "Don't worry, I'm sure little Akane's wedding will be fine." "Nabiki." "Nabiki? Where is that little scamp?" "It's Nabiki's wedding, Mrs Suzuki" "Nabiki? Is she getting married too?" Kasumi just sighed, handed the keys to the old lady and went to pack. Kasumi thought as she climbed the stairs. Back in California, Monty Phillips finished planning the demise of his cousin as he finished his dinner. It was perfect. It was simple. And most of all, it would preserve his deniability. He chuckled cruelly and placed a single phone call. The next day, both families found themselves on a large American airliner heading for Honolulu. The fathers quietly played an electronic version of Go on the vacant seat between them. Neither really liked the device very much, it made it impossible to cheat. Still, it was going to be a long flight and there are just so many magazines and movies one could look at. The girls, on the other hand, were finding it much easier to adjust to the confining spaces of a 747. "What are you going to do first?" Akane asked her oldest sister. Kasumi was enjoying a cool soft drink and watching the in- flight movie. The last few days had been the longest time she had ever gone without cooking, cleaning, or doing the laundry. She was savoring every moment. Like a patient mother, she removed her earphones and smiled at her little sister. "Oh, maybe spend a day at the beach." she sighed with a smile. "Or do some shopping." The two girls were interrupted by Ranma-chan's tapping Akane on the shoulder. "This better be important, pervert." Akane responded, clearly irritated. "It is!" she hissed. "We've got to talk...privately." Akane looked around and gave Ranma a confused look. "Where? We're on an airplane. There's no *private* anywhere here." "Yes there is. Follow me." She grabbed Akane's arm and towed her quickly down the isle. Near the galley, Ranma-chan made a quick turn into a vacant bathroom. Dragging a protesting Akane in behind her, Ranma-chan slammed shut the door and turned, almost nose to nose, to face a growling fianc=82. "This better be good." Akane warned, trying to get as far away from Ranma as possible. It was closer than a Tokyo subway during rush hour. "Why do I have to travel as a girl?" Ranma-chan hissed. Akane tried to cross her arms but failed due to Ranma-chan's protruding bust. "Because you got yourself drenched just before your picture was taken at the passport office. It's a good thing Nabiki was able to alter your birth certificate on the fly like that. It took every favor Nabiki had on her books to get us in as quickly as we did. Usually, we would have had to wait 6 to 8 weeks to get passports. So, as far as our government is concerned, you are a girl." She couldn't resist adding: "Sweetie." Ranma-chan ignored the insult but squirmed uncomfortably nevertheless. "Well, I've never had to be a girl this long before." "So?" "I think I'm... having... 'that time of month'." Ranma-chan whined rubbing her legs together. "Huh?" "You know, the thing you get every month that makes you so crabby." "It does *not* make me crabby!" Akane yelled, suddenly understanding just what the little creep was talking about and becoming highly indignant at even having this discussion. "It sure does!" Ranma-chan yelled back, her voice echoing loudly in the confined space. "Oh, all right. Anything to get out of this hot box." Akane quickly dug through her tiny hand bag until she found a small cardboard cylinder. Holding it up, she hissed: "Just put this in..." Ranma's eyes got huge. "In... *where*?!?" Akane just cocked her head and gave Ranma a look of exasperation. Realizing just what Akane was asking her to do, Ranma-chan reacted loudly. "HUH-UH! NO WAY!" A knock at the door drew their attention momentarily. Irritated, Akane yelled at the door using her best high school English: "One minute. We coming right out!" The old lady on the other side of the door blinked and thought: "Then you can wait until we get to the hotel. I'll fix you up then." she hissed, anxious to get out of this tight and increasingly hot phone booth sized toilet. "But what about...?" Ranma-chan started. "Here," Akane grabbed a hand full of paper towels and thrust them at a confused looking Ranma. "Stuff these in your drawers." With that, she unlocked the door and violently swung it open, knocking Ranma-chan back onto the toilet. A large gathered crowd, once Akane got out of the way, was treated to the sight of a red haired Japanese girl desperately trying to stuff a wad of paper towels down the front of her pants. Suddenly aware of her audience, she stopped, got a disgusted look on her face and yelled: "What?!?" The crowd quickly disbursed. Akane returned to her seat muttering about how she can't believe she's living with that jerk. "Is Ranma alright?" Kasumi asked sweetly. "About as all right as that pervert is going to get." Akane lamented plopping down in her seat and securing her headphones on her head. Kasumi was about to return to the movie herself when she caught sight of Ranma-chan waddling down the isle, her pants overflowing with paper towels. she thought, slowly turning back to the movie. The mind boggles. The rest of the flight was fairly uneventful. The only other outburst came when a flight attendant spilled a cup of Sprite on the passenger next to Genma Saotome causing the older man to leap onto the back of his seat. Good thing too. Turning into a panda onboard an aircraft in front of 400 witnesses could be hard to explain. Wouldn't help his trip through customs either. Tatewaki Kuno arrived at the Tendo residence early Saturday morning. Seeing no one around, he walked through the front gate and up to the door as if he owned the place. he thought. Poking his head inside, he announced his arrival. There was no answer. An elderly lady emerged from the main room carrying an old broom. She had just finished sweeping the carpet. Kuno looked at her as if she were someone she had never seen before. Actually, he never had. "My apologies, Obasan." Kuno said with a formal bow. "I am here..." "I'm not you grandma, sonny." Mrs Suzuki warned, a harsh look coming over her face. "My humblest of apologies." Kuno said with another formal bow. "I was wondering..." "Ah, yes." Suzuki cut him off again. "You're here to mow the grass. About time too. Now the mower is out back..." "With all due respect," Kuno said stiffly. "I'm here to see Miss Nabiki Tendo about a matter of business." "Oh, well, she's not here." Mrs. Suzuki said with an irritated voice. "She and her family went to Hawaii for little Akane's wedding." Kuno's mouth open and closed several times, his eyes big and all color drained from his face. "Hey, that's pretty good." the old lady remarked with a grin. "My late husband used to be able to do that too. Course, he could make funny 'popping' noises when he did it. Can you make 'popping' noises too?" "AKANE TENDO!?? HAWAII?!? WEDDING??!!!" Kuno was almost in a state of apoplexy. "You don't have to shout, young man. I'm not deaf you know." She poked the twitching Kuno with the handle of her broom. Kuno was reduced to making strange gurgling sounds as his body vibrated. "My late husband used to be able to do that too. Well, he was best at it just before he died." she observed thoughtfully. "Sure you don't want that mowing job? I'll give you a whole 50 yen." Kuno stopped vibrating and let out a long, blood curdling scream that echoed throughout Nerima as he ran from the residence. "I guess that's a 'No'. What a strange young man." Mrs. Suzuki mumbled as she returned to the main room. "Made me miss the 'Brady Bunch' and everything." It was an especially dark night in Hawaii. So dark that no one observed a lone figure cutting the chain holding closed a back gate to the city zoo. That done, a small delivery truck slowly drove through the gate, past the sleeping guards (their condition aided by an earlier application of sleeping potion to their coffee) and down to the panda exhibit. Twenty minutes later, the truck, now loaded with two prized female Chinese Pandas, drove back out of the zoo and headed for the city center. No one would discover the theft until morning. By then, the crooks would have hidden both the truck and the pandas. It was a simple but brilliantly executed crime. The wedding party arrived in Hawaii just after sunrise and easily cleared customs. Ranma-chan, having shed her paper towels, actually behaved the whole time. Of course, Akane's threats on her life were probably responsible. Jeff and Nabiki were there to meet them, having taken an earlier flight to prepare for the family's arrival. After a short van ride through the city, they were at the hotel and quickly checked in. As it was a beautiful Hawaiian day, they decided to start their trip off with a visit to the beach. However, preparations didn't go off as smoothly as all had hoped for. The girls were having problems getting Ranma to wear a girls swim suit. "Why do I always have to wear a girls swimsuit?" Ranma moaned. "Because, stupid, if you get wet wearing a boy's swimsuit, we get arrested." Akane pointedly said. "This is America. They take a dim view of nude public swimming. By the way," she turned to the other girls in the room. "Why do *I* always have to provide the clothes for this pervert?" Kasumi just shook her head. "We've already been over this. He's your fiance and in his female form, you are the closest to his size." She handed Ranma-chan one of Akane's Speedos and, like a frustrated mother, directed her to the bathroom to change. "But they don't fit!" Ranma-chan complained. "They're too tight across the chest and too baggy at the waist." Only the quick intervention of Kasumi saved Ranma from spending his/her first day in Hawaii at the hospital. "Besides, Akane, you never get in the water anyway. It really doesn't make any difference what you wear to the beach." Nabiki remarked while idly looking out the window. "Yeah? Well this time I'm gonna do some real swimming." Akane bristled at the suggestion of her lack of aquatic skills. The other two girls just looked at each other. It was going to be a long day for the lifeguards. At the Honolulu International Airport, two other wedding 'guests' were arriving. Tatewaki Kuno and his crazy sister Kodachi were just passing through customs. Kuno was forced to bring his sister along when she overheard him booking a flight to Hawaii. If her honey, Ranma, was going to marry anyone, it was going to be her. She would try to spare Akane for her stupid brother but if she got in the way, oh well. Customs went quickly until some of Kodachi's rhythmic gymnastics paraphernalia aroused suspicion. Her attempts at convincing the agent that they were legitimate sports equipment were spoiled when one of her clubs accidentally sprung open to reveal a series of sharp spines. All her equipment were quickly confiscated and the pair were detained for questioning. They would be released several hours later, but only after convincing the police that they were simple Japanese tourists who only feared for their safety. Meanwhile, back at the beach, the Genma and Soun, dressed in t-shirts and swimsuits, were demonstrating their skills at Tai Che while ogling the girls that happened by. Clearly, they were in their element; showing off their martial arts skills while surrounded by beautiful women wearing the least possible. Akane and Ranma-chan were debating what to do first. Akane wanted to try swimming and Ranma wanted to check out the beach food vendors. Kasumi settled under a large umbrella on a comfortable little beach chair to do some light reading. Being the polite girl she was, she smiled and nodded whenever someone even appeared to talk to her. This would have been fine except it kept attracting people who assumed she spoke English; some weirder than others. "Pardon me, your bodacious beautifulness," a rather seedy looking example of a blonde California beach bum said. "You mind if I, like, share your sun with you?" "Hai." Kasumi responded with an unsure smile. She didn't understand a word he was saying but he seemed nice enough. "Yeah, like 'hi' right back at ya," the blonde guy flopped down on Kasumi's towel, scattering sand over her book and personal things. Disgustedly, she swept the sand off as best she could. The smile was getting harder to maintain. "Me and T-bone (that's my buddy) just blew in from the coast looking for some gnarly waves and we're, like, gonna get some babes and, do you, you-know, like, have a friend? For T-bone, I mean." The blonde dude now had Kasumi totally lost. You could tell because her smile slowly melted into a really neat look of total confusion. Fortunately, Jeff and Nabiki chose that moment to arrive. "Who's your friend, Kasumi?" Nabiki chirped as she approached. "I have no idea. He just sat down and started talking." Kasumi said with a look of bewilderment. "English, I think." "Hey, babe!" the blonde beach dude said with a genuine Bill and Ted expression as he turned to Nabiki. "You talk like the little oriental guy we got back home who cuts the grass around my parents house." "Well, he's certainly colorful." Jeff observed. "Probably, harmless." "Wow, dude. You, like, speak the lingo too. Way cool." "Kasumi, do you want me to tell him to go away?" Jeff asked quietly. Kasumi thought for a moment and replied: "Try not to be too harsh with him, Jeff-san. He seems like a nice person." "Look, fella. The little lady here just asked me to tell you she's not interested in whatever you're selling and to please go away." Jeff said as firmly as possible. The blonde dude, however, was not easily shooed away. In fact, he was beginning to feel a little bit put upon by the, obviously, smaller Jeff. Standing up, he assumed an aggressive stance. "Yeah? An what if I, like, don't think the babe really said that?" He advanced an intimidating step forward. "And what if, I think you're trying to steal my babe. I know Kung Fu, dude. So you better, like, beat it now." Jeff's face lost all its expression. He could tell the blonde was no fighter, his stance comically ridiculous. Still, the guy was clearly in an aggressive mood. Jeff glanced around to see if anyone was really watching. If trouble came, he would have to respond. He didn't like the situation at all. Nabiki, understanding Jeff's limits a little better now, could tell that her fiance was quickly closing in on doing something rash. Certain her intervention could prevent an ugly incident, she stepped between the two boys. It should be noted here that Nabiki was the champion of the Furinkan High School English Club. She was a straight 'A' student in English and had watched lots of American television shows and movies before they were dubbed into Japanese. In short, she was the best Japanese public schools had to offer. "Look, Bucko!" she started, reaching up to poke the blonde in the chest with her finger. "Sister say you no like go away now." Jeff thought fighting back a visible chuckle. But Nabiki was on a roll and still poking the blonde dude in the chest. The look on her face was of total commitment. she thought. "Jeff-san, do you think he understood me?" she asked Jeff a worried look on her face. "I'm not sure *I* understood you." Nabiki reset her jaw with a determined look and turned to the guy once more. It was time to play her trump card: "I call father you no go." *That* the guy got and started to leave, but not without a parting shot to Kasumi: "Hey, babe, me and T-bone are staying down at the Beachcomber. It's not much to look at but it's cheap. [snicker] If you, like, change your mind.." He never finished as Nabiki shouted loud enough to attract attention: "GO!". The blonde beat a hasty retreat. "Honestly, Oneechan." Nabiki said with a exasperated voice while dropping to her knees next to Kasumi's blanket. "You've got to stop trying to be nice to everyone you meet. It just encourages the weirdos." Kasumi just sighed and gave her 'hurt puppy dog' look. "But Nabiki, I was just being polite. You wouldn't want me to be impolite, would you?" Nabiki shot another look at the retreating blonde beach bum before responding: "I suppose not. Just be more careful who you talk to." Before Kasumi could agree a commotion up where the fathers were working out drew everyone's attention, including the police. Jeff, Nabiki, Ranma, and Akane all reached the scene at the same time. Inside a ring of curious onlookers, Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo were about to be handcuffed by four large Hawaiian police officers. "Aw, pop. What did you do this time?" Ranma-chan whined as she pushed her way through the crowd. "All I was doing, son, was showing Sensi Tendo the art of 'Limb Kai Projection'." the elder Saotome protested. "The Limb Kai...you pervert!" Ranma yelled. "You were using your kai to sneak a grope. You dirty old man!" "Father!" Nabiki and Akane shouted in unison. Mr. Tendo just shrugged his shoulders and looked innocent. Nabiki quickly grabbed Jeff. "Do something!" "Do what?!? These are cops, not street thugs." "Talk to them. You're rich. Maybe they'll respect that." "You sure have a lot to learn about money, little lady." With implied threats in their looks, Akane and Nabiki spurred Jeff to action. "Excuse me, officers." he began as he approached the lawmen. "I'm the host for these two gentlemen while they're in this country. What seems to be the problem here?" "This young lady," the first officer said indicating the tall, leggy blonde with a figure you would die for (or at least pay extra). "Has made a complaint against these two for [reading from his notepad] illegally placing their hands on a part of her body without permission." "I see," Jeff stroked his chin and looked concerned. "Tell me miss. Just where were you when this happened?" The blonde, wearing the minimum legal covering, wiggled to about 20 feet away and stopped. "Right here." "Okay. Where were the Japanese gentlemen?" "Where they are now,... I guess." the blonde suddenly got an embarrassed look on her face. "But they could have been closer." Jeff just looked at the officers who were trading looks among themselves. "Twenty feet, gentlemen?" Jeff summarized. "Unless we're dealing with two men with extraordinary physical talents..." "Miss," the second officer turned to the blonde. "Is it possible you were grabbed by someone else in the crowd?" "Well," she squirmed slightly. "I guess so. But they were laughing." She pointed to the fathers and pouted. "They're Japanese." Jeff protested. "They're always laughing. Didn't you see 'Tora, Tora, Tora'?" "Ah, Tora, Tora, Tora" the two fathers repeated. "Shut up!" Nabiki jumped in. "What do ya think?" the first officer asked his partner. "Twenty feet away would be hard to prove in court and they *are* foreign tourists." "Okay, you two, we'll forget about it this time." the officers began to unhandcuff the fathers. "But try to behave yourselves while in Hawaii." When the officers had left and the families were alone, Akane vented on both fathers. "I can't believe you two. We leave you alone on the beach for ten minutes and you find a way to get into trouble." "But daughter..." Soun Tendo attempted to explain. "Not this time!" Akane yelled wagging her finger in her father's face. "You're just lucky Jeff was here. None of us speak good enough English to get you off so quickly. You could have spent Nabiki's wedding in jail." As the rest of the family turned away, the two fathers just looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Somewhere in the outskirts of Honolulu, two truck thieves were running for their lives. It seems the truck they stole, instead of material valuables in the back, contained two very annoyed and very dangerous panda bears ready to rearrange the thieves' body parts. The felons fled, the pandas wandered off in search of food, and the stage was set for the worst week the Honolulu Police had experienced since the bombing of Pearl Harbor. That evening the bride and groom's families met for the first time. It was, to say the least, an interesting meeting. Convening at a local country club, the families intermingled in a private dining room. Jeff's mom and the girls hit it off immediately. Nabiki, at first, was a little embarrassed, remembering her condition at the embassy reception for the Japanese Prime Minister. But, on the whole, the ladies seemed right at home together. The guys, on the other hand, were having a few problems. Soun kept telling Mr. Lawrence how proud he was to be the father-in-law of such a nice (and rich) young man as Jeff. Genma repeatedly asked how rich Mr. Lawrence was, figuring that if Jeff was rich, the father must be loaded. Ranma, totally embarrassed by his father's brown-nosing, was trying to rein in his dad with little success. Jeff just sat back and enjoyed watching his dad squirm. Jeff thought. To Mr. Lawrence's credit, he proved the consummate diplomat, easily deflecting Mr. Saotome's probes while gracefully acknowledging Mr. Tendo's blubbering compliments. Totally bored with the discussion and sensing a chance to slip out, Jeff quietly wandered over to where the ladies were talking to do a little eavesdropping. The discussion was, for Jeff's part, worse there. His mother had a list of embarrassing Jeff stories that would make an extortionist like Nabiki green with envy. Good thing she didn't talk to his mother when they first met, he would have been paying hush money to middle Tendo daughter until his bank account squealed. Somehow, the discussion got around to the breaking news of the stolen pandas. Kasumi expressed some concern that the wild animals could be anywhere, even just outside. The others assured her the pandas were, probably, far away from populated areas only looking for food and a place to sleep. "Besides," Nabiki chirped. "Akane can protect us." She reached over and playfully squeezed Akane's biceps to show how strong she was. Akane shot her older sister a warning look. She may be a trained martial artist, but she was also a girl and didn't take too well to being treated otherwise. Jeff knew when to become scarce and beat a quiet retreat back to the men's group. Returning, he found Ranma and Mr. Saotome missing. Upon being told they went outside to checkout the country club's Japanese garden, Jeff figured he better tag along in case they got into trouble. Too late. Ranma, expecting his father to pull one of his famous "training is a 24 hour a day job" routines, was ready when his father attacked him in the garden. Yelling this was no place for such foolishness, Ranma bounced the elder Saotome off a palm tree and into a conveniently placed garden pool. The panda that came out, needless to say, was displeased. "What's the matter, pop?" Ranma chided. "Getting slow?" His answer came as the panda tried to exit the pond. Slipping on the algae covered bottom, Genma did a belly flop, splashing water everywhere, including on a startled Ranma. The transformation was both unfortunate and immediate. Immediate in that Ranma now looked like a drowned female Chinese street urchin. Unfortunate because the commotion attracted the attention of the snooty club manager. "What are *you* doing here?" the club manager demanded from the doorway to the main dining room. "This club is for members and their guests only." Ranma, scouring his mind for any useful phrase he could remember from the English classes he used to sleep through, tried the first thing that popped into his head: "Good Evening, Mister Brown." "Good evening my aunt's fanny, young lady." the manager started towards the garden. He only got three steps from the door when his eye caught on the dripping wet panda emerging from his garden pool. The man's eyes got huge and he stood for a few moments, his mouth working but nothing coming out. Unfortunately, Genma-panda decided to try and explain the situation. All he did was make threatening growling sounds that had the least desirable affect on the manager. Like a shot, the man retreated back into the dining room screaming like a Hawaiian Paul Revere: "The pandas are here! The pandas are here! Run for your lives!" Jeff was just coming through the dining room when he collided with a panic stricken club manager screaming something about killer pandas loose on the club grounds. Scrambling to his feet, Jeff bolted out the door to find the garden empty. The only clue that Ranma and Mr. Saotome had been there were a fresh set of wet tracks that led out onto the golf course. Upon closer examination, panda tracks. he thought as he quickly retreated back into the club to find the others. By now, the news about wild pandas rampaging outside the country club had swept through the clubhouse like a wildfire. Jeff's parents were concerned for the safety of their guests and kept trying to gather the girls together for their protection. The girls, however, understood exactly what was going on. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!" Akane yelled at no one in particular. "I knew those two would do something like this!" Kasumi just wondered out loud if, maybe, they were really the escaped pandas. Nabiki grabbed Jeff and hauled him off to a quiet corner. "What the hell happened?" she demanded. "How should I know?" Jeff tried to protest. "Ranma and his dad went outside and the next thing I know, the club manager is screaming about wild pandas on the rampage." "We've got to find them!" she insisted. "Are you nuts?" Jeff argued. "It's dark out there. What if it really is the escaped pandas? Can you tell Mr. Saotome from a real panda?" "Well, I..." she started, suddenly unsure of the proper course of action. "What about Mr. Saotome?" Jeff's mother asked as she approached the pair. "Ah...he and...ah Ranma...ah" Jeff struggled. "Hai. They...ah..." Nabiki was no help. "Mr. Saotome wasn't feeling well and...ah...he and Ranma took a cab back to the hotel." Jeff lied. All the while he heard a voice screaming in his head: 'You can fool all of the people some of the time, and you could fool some of the people all of the time, but you CAN'T FOOL MOM.' Obviously, the voice was right. Mrs. Lawrence gave Jeff a look that told him he better come clean, or else. Jeff swallowed hard. Fate saved his bacon that night as his father scurried up and suggested they get their guests to safety. Still giving Jeff a look of warning, mom agreed and ushered Nabiki out to the waiting van. "What was that all about, son?" Jeff's dad asked. "Dad, You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Meanwhile, out on the golf course, Ranma-chan and a large panda were running for cover. Amazing how little 'cover' there is on a golf course when you're not hitting a golf ball. By the sand trap on the tenth hole, the two had lost sight of each other as Ranma veered off the course and Genma continued straight down the 11th fairway. Stumbling through some bushes, Ranma-chan emerged in the back yard of an exclusive residential neighborhood. "Okay, Ranma," Ranma-chan muttered to herself as she walked towards the street. "All I gotta do is figure out how to get back to the country club without being seen. If I can just sneak back to the van, I can hide behind the seats." Apparently, one of the houses had a motion sensor light system as the entire back yard suddenly became light as day. Ranma-chan's thoughts at that point were unprintable but understandable. On instinct, she bolted for a nearby yard that was dark and surrounded by a 6 foot high privacy fence. Clearing the fence in a single bound, Ranma-chan quickly discovered why the fence was there. Waiting for her to land were three large German Shepards; each vying for the first bite. Using a technique learned long ago, Ranma-chan literally bounced from dog head to dog head; never harming the dogs but escaping every attempt to bite. As she cleared the fence on the far side of the yard, having never touched the ground once, three dogs simultaneously collided with the fence. The resulting crash, combined with the sounds of three dogs going berserk in their frustration, attracted enough attention to bring just about every homeowner outside. Ranma-chan rolled to a stop against a wooden swing set, tearing most of her top open. As the backyard lights came on, she spied a small pup tent nearby and ducked in. Imagine the surprise of two 10 year old boys when they were suddenly awakened in the middle of the night by a semi-topless red head girl diving in on them. They yelled. Ranma-chan yelled. The homeowner from his back porch yelled and Ranma-chan was hit from three different directions with the beams of three flashlights. "Cool!" the first kid yelled. Both kids eyes were feasting on the results of a good Jusenkyou dunking. Ranma-chan suddenly realized her 'exposed' position and yelled: "Hentai!!" before pulling shut her torn shirt and bolting for the next yard. "Hen what?" the first kid asked his tent mate. "Beats me. Maybe she was looking for chickens?" his friend replied. "Can I spend tomorrow night here? Maybe, she'll come back." "Cool! I'll bring my camera." Further up the street, Genma was experiencing his own problems. He too, decided to try through the bushes that lined the golf course and struck paydirt on his first attempt. There, in an unfenced yard, was a bubbling pool of salvation; an unused hot tub. The back yard was totally dark, only the underwater lights of the tub provided a guide. he thought as he waddled on two legs towards the tub. It might have worked too, except just as he reached the small deck where the hot tub sat, a light went on and naked woman came giggling out of the house. "I'll wait for you in the tub, honey." she called back into the house as she scampered towards the tub. Two thirds the way there, she collided with something large and furry. Bouncing off, she froze in place, her eyes wide and mouth agape. Genma, being within three feet of a very attractive and very naked woman had a completely different reaction. Seconds seemed like hours as the woman saw her life pass before her eyes. Genma saw something entirely different. he thought as he quickly toured her body. His mistake came when he tried to grin. Unfortunately, on a panda, a grin looks more like a snarl. That did it. The woman screamed louder than an air raid siren and frantically scrambled for safety of her house. Genma, on the other hand, did a quick triple take between the hysterical woman and the hot tub. No time. [Pardon me!] his sign read as he turned and beat a four footed retreat back the way he came. By now, every light in the neighborhood was on. Dogs were barking, people were yelling, and the lady was still screaming. All things considered, the golf course was looking pretty good right now. Ranma-chan had just escaped the backyard lights as he ducked around a small storage shed, over a chain link fence and into some thick bushes (tearing more of her clothes in the process). In the bushes, she ran smack into something warm, furry and familiar. "Oh, pop." she gasped as she patted the sitting panda on the leg. "Good thing I found you. We gotta get out of here." The panda just sat there an stared. "What's the matter with you?" she yelled. "We can't let them catch us like this. Come on." She grabbed the panda's front paw and tugged it towards the golf course. The panda, having had enough of the conversation, smacked Ranma-chan up the side of her head, rolling her clear of the bushes. "Still mad, huh." she growled. "I can still take you, no matter what form you're in." With that, began one of the strangest fights Ranma had ever been in. Repeatedly, she struck the panda and just as repeatedly, she was cuffed about. Her father's new 'technique' was something she had never seen before. she thought as she dodged a furious series of blows. Two more dodges and Ranma-chan delivered a knockout blow. Gasping for breath and hearing police cars approaching, she suddenly realized what she had done. She could escape but her father would have to be left behind. she thought as she sprinted across the golf course. The police, backed by anxious zookeepers armed with tranquilizer guns, swarmed the neighborhood. They quickly found the unconscious panda and, in minutes, had it bound for transport back to the zoo. A shout from further up the street attracted their attention to a second panda running on two legs towards their position. "Damndist thing I've ever seen." one police officer said. "I didn't know pandas ran on two legs." "Don't matter," a zookeeper said as he raised his tranquilizer gun. "We better drop him before he causes any more mischief." Genma came to a screeching halt ten feet from the police and armed zookeeper. Looking back over his shoulder, he could see more police coming from behind. He was trapped and he knew it. There was only one thing left to do. "Hoooooly...," one officer said to his partner. "He looks like he's trying to surrender." "Naw," the zookeeper replied as he fired his gun. "Bears do that just before they attack." Genma, his front paws still raised, was struck in the rear leg with the first dart. He felt the sting of the needle and tried to waddle away from his attackers. A second dart struck squarely in his rump and the world began to get fuzzy. The giant panda seemed to wobble for a moment before collapsing on the soft grass of the 10th fairway. Genma thought as he passed out. Kuno was in a bad mood when he reached the hotel. It was late, he had spent the entire day trying to convince the authorities that he and his crazy sister weren't international terrorists, just scared tourists, when their lethal assortment of rhythmic gymnastics equipment was discovered. They even confiscated her bundle of black roses. she thought. Kuno, for his part, was only interested in a hot bath and a soft bed. At the front desk, he stared intently at a clerk who was sorting mail and doing his best to ignore the odd couple. "If you don't mind..." Kuno said in his most commanding voice. "My sister and I would like two of your finest rooms and be quick about it." He smugly folded his arms and looked every inch the samurai he believed himself to be. Unfortunately, the desk clerk didn't understand a word of Japanese and just stared at Kuno like he was crazy. Actually, the desk clerk was close; it was his sister that was crazy. He was just demented. "Just a minute." the clerk said in English as he disappeared into a back room. "Brother, you obviously don't command the respect you deserve in this establishment." Kodachi said fingering the only 'weapon' she was able to salvage from the airport authorities, her ribbon. "Perhaps, I should try." "Fear not, my sweet but brain damaged sibling." Kuno crowed turning to face his sister. "For I, Tatewaki Kuno, known throughout our native land as Blue Thunder, shall deal with these common innkeepers and, rest assured, they will rue the day they crossed me." Kuno was smugly confident. He wouldn't have felt so smug if he saw what emerged from the back room. The night manager was large enough to play defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers. Heck, he could have played the entire line. "May I be of assistance," he said in perfect Japanese. "Of course, you..." Kuno hesitated when he turned back to the desk and got a look at who (or what) he was talking to. "I... I... would like a room... or two...please." Kodachi just rolled her eyes. "Well, we're quite full right now." the manager said looking through his reservation book. "Do you have a reservation, sir?" "I, Tatewaki Kuno, needn't bother with such things." Kuno said resuming his arrogant posture. "There is always room at the inn for a Kuno. The penthouse suite, perhaps." "I'm afraid all the suites are booked, sir." the manager silently chuckled. "Perhaps a room for two." "A common room?" Kuno said shocked at the suggestion. "Well sir, that's all we have left." "I don't believe this." Kodachi moaned. "Is this your wife?" the manager asked Kuno. "My sister!" "My condolences." Small puffs of smoke shot out of Kuno's ears as he attempted to form in his mind an appropriate riposte. Fortunately, his sister, who wanted to get a room before morning, intervened. "We'll take whatever you have, thank you." She said with a syrupy voice. "Very well, miss." the manager finished registering the odd couple and handed both keys to their room. "One room, two beds. Enjoy your stay." Kuno snatched his key from the manager and turned to glare at the poor bell boy who was struggling with the mountain of Kuno luggage. Somehow, the kid got the feeling he wasn't going to get much of a tip tonight. Kodachi demurely accepted her key and apologized for her brother. "He's a little stressed tonight. You see, we came all this way to stop a wedding." The manager was about to say something but decided he didn't need the trouble. Instead, he just smiled and pointed to the elevators. "See brother, if you're nice to people, you can get anything you want." Kodachi chided as she led the procession to the elevators. Kuno wasn't listening. He was too busy herding the poor bell boy and growling about having to share a room with the Black Rose of Insanity. The Kunos weren't in the elevator two minutes when the Tendos and Jeff returned. Akane quickly scampered up to the front desk and carefully asked if either Ranma Saotome or a shorter red haired girl come in. The night manager, having a soft spot for damsels in distress, quickly checked with the rest of the staff. No one had seen either but, he personally assured her, they would keep a look out for both. Disappointed but grateful for the manager's help, Akane joined her family and Jeff in the elevator. While everyone else talked excitedly about the evening, Akane was quietly lost in her own thoughts. Only Kasumi noticed, but then she had a way of doing that. Instead of going directly to her own room, Akane followed Kasumi into hers. "Oh, Akane." Kasumi said in a slightly startled voice. "I didn't see you there. Is there something wrong?" Akane quietly closed the door and strolled into her older sister's room. Kasumi calmly sat on the end of her bed. She could tell Akane wanted to talk about something but was reluctant to start. "It was a lovely evening with Jeff's parents, wasn't it?" she started. "Hai, oneechan." Akane said looking out the window. "I really liked his mother. He's very lucky to have a mother like her." Kasumi agreed and quietly waited for Akane to get to her point. "I wonder what happened to Ranma." Akane said almost in passing. "I... I hope he's all right." Kasumi smiled to herself. She, alone, knew just how much the two really felt about each other. She just attributed their bickering to the fact they were still, really, children. In time, she reasoned, they would realize how much they really cared for each other. Maybe, Akane was already starting to take that step. "I'm sure he's all right, Akane." she said in a motherly way. "He's a big boy and can take care of himself." "I know." Akane sighed as she turned to face her sister. "It's just he doesn't speak enough of the language to even ask where a toilet is. If I didn't let him copy off my test papers in English class, he would have failed for sure." Kasumi just looked at a worried Akane for several seconds. "There are many people in Hawaii that speak Japanese. He's sure to find one sooner or later and they'll direct him back to the hotel." "Oneechan," Akane started. "When he first disappeared, I was angry. All I could think of was how he was screwing up our trip to Hawaii. Then, on the way back here, I began to think just what my life would be without him. What if he never came back." Akane paused and swallowed hard. "I guess, I really do care about him." "I always thought so," Kasumi said matter-of-factly. Akane stared at her older sister for a few moments. Once again, Kasumi seemed to know more about their relationship than even Akane. While that should have unnerved her, it somehow was comforting to know that she always had someone to go to. Someone who could help her navigate her relationship with Ranma. Nabiki was right, Kasumi *was* the best combination of mother, older sister, and best friend. With a modest chuckle, Akane said: "Just don't let him know." "Not a word." The sisters hugged and Akane quietly returned to her own room. Kasumi just sighed and thought: "If only my own life were that easy to solve." Meanwhile, down the hall, Nabiki and Jeff were working out a few things of their own. As she unlocked the door to her room, Jeff's arms surrounded her slim waist. "And just what do you think you're doing?" she asked with mock sternness. "Well...I just thought that since we'll be married in a few days anyway..." Jeff muttered in her ear. He gently nuzzled the nape of her neck. Nabiki struggled with her own feelings. The invitation *was* appealing, heck, she'd dreamed about just such a situation many times over the last year. But now was neither the time nor the place. Too much going on and too many family members close by. Besides, as she once told him, she had her reputation to protect. Carefully, Nabiki reached down, took hold of his thumbs and easily pealed herself free. Turning to face her fianc=82, she gave him a seriously hard look. "I have only three words for you: After The Wedding." It must have been the determined look she gave him because with a sigh, Jeff just nodded, shrugged his shoulders and turned to leave. "Just a minute, buster." she said with a touch of menace in her voice. "Come back here." Jeff meekly did as he was told. To his surprise, Nabiki took him into a passionate embrace and kissed him deeply right there in the hall. Moments later, she broke the kiss, stepped into the room and, with only her head showing, bid him good night. "Cold shower?" he asked with a smile. "Cold shower." she replied before closing the door. "Well, It could be worse." He muttered walking down the hall towards the elevators. "Cold water could activate a really rotten curse like Ranma's." Ranma, he had almost forgotten about the poor fellow. he thought as he pushed the elevator button. A tall maid, pushing a housekeeping cart, slowly passed behind him as he got onto the elevator. As the doors closed, he heard two loud 'thumps' on the door. Thinking it was someone trying to catch the elevator, he quickly punched the 'Door Open' button but was too late. The elevator had already started its decent. he thought. What Jeff didn't see were two daggers, still quivering, imbedded in the elevator door and the 'maid' snapping her fingers in disgust at missing such an easy target. Somewhere, on the streets of down town Honolulu, a lone figure slipped quietly from shadow to shadow. Every time a car passed, the figure melted back into the shadows and held her breath. Ranma-chan anxiously thought to herself. She had just cleared the pool of light caused by a down town gas station, when a roving squad car hit Ranma-chan with its spotlight. Caught in the powerful beam, she froze. "What do ya think?" the senior officer asked his partner. "It's a girl, I think. She sure doesn't look like she belongs here this time of night." "Yup, I guess we better check her out." his partner suggested. With flashing lights, the Honolulu Police car pulled over to the curb and one of the officers got out. Holding his flashlight on Ranma-chan, he asked: "Would you come over here for a moment, please. Ranma-chan fought a wave of panic. She was alone, with no passport or other identification, wearing torn and dirty clothes and couldn't understand a word the police officer was saying to her. A quick glance told her there was an alley just 50 feet away. It was decision time; deal with the police or make a break for it. She'd heard stories back in Japan of what police in other countries were like. It was an experience to be missed. Besides, didn't they try to arrest her father and Sensi Tendo this morning? Only the intervention of Jeff saved them from a jail cell and Jeff was certainly not available here and now. Fearing what would happen to her in the hands of the American police at night, she chose to make a break for it. Bolting for the alley, she heard the officer shout and the squad car's squealing tires as it began its pursuit. She easily gained the alley and turned quickly into its welcoming darkness. Passing dumpsters and trash, Ranma-chan ran with increasing fear. She could hear the pursuing foot officer's steps echoing off the buildings and the revving engine of the squad car not far behind. She could feel the pounding of her heart matching the rapid sounds of her own feet as she lightly dashed down the alley. The combined lights of the pursuing car and the officer's flashlight showed an escape route. Ahead lay a delivery truck blocking the alley. Next to it was a parked car. With an agility only a trained martial artist could possess, Ranma-chan ran up the hood of the car, jumped onto the top of the delivery truck and then onto the roof of the nearest building. She could hear the police officer trying to duplicate her feat with little success. His cries of pain as he landed short of the truck spurred her across the roof. "Damn!" the foot officer yelled as he punched the hood of the car he had just slipped off of. "Call it in, Fred. We've got a runner." The officer in the squad car put in the radio call while slamming the vehicle into reverse. With tires squealing, the squad car shot back out into the street. While his partner worked his way carefully around the parked truck, the police officer in the car sped off down the street and rounded the next corner. Sirens of other patrol cars could be heard off in the distance. Ranma-chan ran with fluid ease across the flat roof tops until she rounded a brick structure on the last one. There she collided with two other bodies. The three collapsed in a heap. "What the..." one of the bodies yelled. "It's a girl!" the other shouted. "Yeah. Hey babe, what's your hurry." the first said to Ranma-chan as he grabbed her wrist. These were two burglars interrupted in their trade by the appearance of a strange, and partially clad, red haired Asian girl. "You know, Red, I think we can forget the break-in. This little sweetie is gonna provide us with a little 'entertainment', aren't you honey?" the second said with a greasy grin. "You don't mind doin it on a roof top, do ya?" the red haired burglar said licking his dirty lips as he slowly reeled in his intended prey. Ranma-chan quickly roped in her fear and took stock of the situation. Two would-be burglars, one tall and dark haired, the other about her size and with the same bright red hair, unarmed and looking for more than either could handle. This was not going to be their lucky night. By now the first patrol car had reached the end of the buildings and was shining its searchlight on the edge of the roof looking for any movement. The officer didn't have long to wait. Almost immediately, a body came flying over the edge and landed with a loud 'ooooof' on the hood of his car. With a groan, the red headed burglar rolled off the hood and onto the ground directly in front of the car's headlights. The other burglar was currently an ugly indentation in the brickwork on the roof. "Did you get her?" the first officer gasped as he rounded the other corner of the building. "Yup. Old Red here musta fallen off the roof in his attempt to get away." the second officer said as he knelt down to examine the red headed crook. "Funny, I thought we were chasing a female." "Male, female, what's the difference? We got him. That's all that counts." his partner said as he pulled out his radio. Ranma-chan, still gasping for breath, made a clean getaway back across the roof, down the truck and out of the alley. All things considered, she had been lucky so far. Ducking into the gas station, she avoided the clerk and slipped quietly into the women's restroom. she thought as she locked the door. Looking across the bathroom, she saw it. she reveled in the thought of returning to normal once again. Turning both taps on high she waited for the warm liquid that would reverse her despicable curse. Disappointment slowly engulfed her as neither tap would run hot. With tired disgust, she snapped the taps shut and slapped the cold porcelain surface with her open hands. Her head dropped to her chest in resignation. She was condemned to spend another night as a girl. Ranma-chan dropped to the filthy floor and huddling under the sink, listened carefully for any sign of activity outside. There was none. She was still listening when exhaustion overtook her. she thought before noting bitterly With her head on her raised up knees, Ranma-chan spent her first night in Hawaii on the dirty restroom floor of a downtown gas station. Meanwhile, in a veterinary office of the Honolulu Zoo, two veterinarians were checking over the recaptured pandas. The first panda, a female, was quickly certified as healthy and sent back to its compound. The other, a rather portly looking male, lay dozing on the office's small examining table. "Hey!" the first vet said as he examined the panda. "I thought both pandas were female. This one is distinctly male." He held the animal's rear legs apart to show his partner. "Hmmm. You're right." the other vet said examining the panda carefully. "Obviously, not much of a lover." The two snickered. It was at this point that Genma began to wake up. While still groggy and unable to understand what the doctors were saying, he was certain of two things: This wasn't the hotel and someone was examining areas of him that were better off left unexamined. He tried to move but found himself firmly restrained by thick nylon straps. "I see he's waking up. Good, good." the first vet said releasing Genma's rear legs. "I think we can put him in the compound now with the other panda." Then added: "I think they'll make a lovely couple." As Genma was being wheeled out to the panda compound, he kept thinking: The next day dawned as beautiful a day as Hawaii could provide. And why not. Today was the day of the wedding rehearsal for Nabiki and Jeff's wedding. As the group gathered at the little church, much was said about the disappearance of the Saotomes. Akane was visibly upset over not knowing the whereabouts of her fianc=82, Ranma. "I'm sure they're all right. I've notified the police and they've assured me they will be on the lookout for both of them." Jeff tried to reassure the Tendos. "If either shows up, they promised they would call me immediately." "Jeff" Nabiki said flatly. "We can't have a proper rehearsal without Ranma. He's the best man." "We'll just have to make due for now and fill him in later when he shows up." "If he shows up." Akane injected. She was obviously taking all this a lot harder than the rest. She looked terrible from the lack of sleep. All night long, she would call down to the main desk asking if there had been any word yet. She hadn't slept more than a few minutes all night. Kasumi kept reassuring her that all would turn out okay but Akane was clearly fearing the worst. Under most normal conditions, she was certain that Ranma could take care of himself. But this was America and Americans carried guns. All night long she was haunted by scenes she had seen of crime in America, of dead and dying victims of people with guns. She feared he lay dead or dying in some dark corner of the city, only to be found many days from now. It was shortly before noon before the minister, Reverend Hasakawa, could get everyone in their places. All went about as well as could be expected with the best man missing, the maid of honor distracted, and the bride-to-be growling at everyone over their inattention. More than once, sharp words were exchanged between the two younger daughters. Kasumi, who was standing in for their departed mother, had to keep stepping between them to keep the peace. By the time the rehearsal was over, all parties concerned were convinced the wedding would be a disaster. In any case, Nabiki badly needed a walk to calm down. "Sensi Tendo, why don't you and the girls take the limo back to the hotel." Jeff suggested. "Nabiki and I need to take a little walk alone." "I...I think I would rather stay here awhile." Akane said softly casting glances at Reverend Hasakawa. It was obvious to everyone that she was in need of a little comforting from a higher source or at least someone outside the family to talk to. Kasumi agreed to stay with her sister and would wait for the limo's return. Gleefully, Soun Tendo bounced into the back seat of the limousine, reveling in the luxury he had all to his self. Jeff gave instructions to the driver and sent the limo on its way. It hadn't gone very far when Jeff noticed a large puddle left behind as the car pulled away. Kneeling down, he examined the puddle closely. It looked like...brake fluid. With alarm, his head shot up and turned towards the route the limo had just taken. Then he heard the impact. Somewhere, just around the first bend, the limousine had crashed into the trees. Jeff and the others ran quickly to the crash site. To everyone's relief, it wasn't as bad as it sounded. The car's front bumper and left front quarter panel were certainly damaged but otherwise all was well. The driver was out of the car examining the damage when Jeff reached him. "Are you all right?" he asked looking around for Mr. Tendo. "No problem." the driver replied. "Gonna be in the shop for a while, though." Concerned for her father's safety, Nabiki yanked open the rear door and looked in. There, in a heap on the floor, was Soun Tendo; a smashed cigar in one hand and what was left of a bottle of white wine in the other. "Does this mean the ride's over?" he asked in a dazed voice. "Yes, daddy. The ride's over." Nabiki said flatly. She helped her father get out of the car, but not before he grabbed a handful of cigars from the humidor and an unbroken bottle of wine from the bar. He may not have gotten his exclusive limousine ride but he wasn't leaving empty handed. Just down the hill, slightly around the second turn, a greasy figure slapped his head in disgust. Another failure. Disposing of this 'Jeff' fellow was turning out to be harder than it looked. Hopping on his motorcycle, the man thought: After arranging for transportation for the rest of the family, Jeff and Nabiki walked quietly through the trees to a little clearing with a beautiful view of the ocean. "I'm sorry, Jeff." Nabiki said. For the second time in her life, she was apologizing to Jeff. "I guess I just have a crazy family." "Look, I understand. Akane's just worried about Ranma." Jeff observed. "It's only natural. After all, they are engaged." Nabiki smiled and looked embarrassed. "It's not your typical engagement. They were promised to each other by their fathers." "Yeah, I think Ranma mentioned something about that." Jeff said rubbing his chin. "Kinda rough on both of them." "It's just... they're so young. They haven't had a chance to mature before having all this responsibility pushed on them." Nabiki leaned against a palm tree her arms and legs crossed. The wind whipped her skirt and blew hair across her face. "We're not much older." Nabiki smiled slightly. "You're an only child and, well, you know what I've been through. That kinda ages you." Jeff took her hands and pulled her to him. Resting her head on his shoulder, she drew comfort from his embrace. It felt so safe, so comfortable, so right. "You ever wonder just what we are doing here?" she asked her mind drifting. "I thought we were getting married." Jeff replied, a touch of humor in his voice. "I mean besides that." she looked up at him, a quizzical look on her face. "Since coming to Hawaii, I've had the oddest feeling that I'm here for something else as well. Something...I can't explain." "Quite so, little one," came a familiar voice. Two sets of eyes snapped to the source and beheld a small white haired Japanese man dressed in a traditional yukata leaning on a shakujo staff, its six rings of enlightenment shining in the sunlight. His small, bushy mustache seemed to attempt flight as he smiled. "M...Master Sato," Jeff stammered. "How...?" "That is not important, Jeff-san." He replied sternly, his smile gone. "The elders have decreed this wedding must not take place." Jeff's eyes grew wide with surprise, his mind a whirl of emotions. After all he had gone through. Now, the person he most respected in the world was demanding the nuptials be terminated. Jeff battled with an appropriate response. "The elders say she is not suitable, Jeff-san." "Suit...Suitable?!?" Jeff yelled back at his master. "What gives them the right to determine who is or is not suitable for me to marry?!?" Instinctively, Jeff moved between Nabiki and his master. "You are the product of an ancient prophecy, my son." the master quietly responded. "You *must* marry from within the clan in order to fulfill that prophecy." "You never said anything about this before." "As you will recall, you were 12 years old when you left my care in London. I didn't feel the subject of marriage or prophecy would be suitable for a person of such age." The master's look remained hard and demanding. "You can't stop me. I'm going to marry Nabiki with or without the blessings of these...elders." Jeff softly enveloped Nabiki in his arms and gave his master a stern look of warning. "Such insolence of youth." the master said his eyes narrowed into slits. "The elders await you." He lowered his staff and mumbled some something while slowly oscillated the tip in the young couple's direction. Jeff and Nabiki's view of the world began to grow dimmer, like they were passing inside a dark tunnel. Both tried to move, to stop the crazy old man from completing his spell, but quickly found themselves rooted to the spot. In seconds, the pair were engulfed in total darkness, still holding each other, still aware of their surroundings but suspended in a black void. Neither could speak, or move. Moments later (or was it hours, it was hard to tell time in such a place), the couple found themselves in a chamber with unusually smooth floors. Strange odors floated through the room, some sweet some bitter. All evoked memories the pair fought to control. In a small pool of light, Jeff was kneeling on a large, soft pillow who's surface continually changed colors. When he realized Nabiki was no longer in his grasp, he frantically tried to move, to search for her but found himself rooted to the pillow who's colors swirled faster with every effort he made. Nabiki lost track of Jeff for just a moment, as if someone or something simply removed him from her grasp. She never felt herself being deposited on a large multicolored pillow in the chamber but her eyes smarted from the single bright light that engulfed only her and the pillow. As her eyes refocused, she could make out Jeff sitting like herself on a pillow some 10 feet away. "So, you are the young woman who would defy prophecy." Came a deep male voice from darkness in front of her. "She has captured the heart of our young clan member," came another male voice. "I wonder," began a third. "Would she be worthy of the clan?" There was a slight pause, as if the voices were considering their next step. Nabiki looked at Jeff, pleading for guidance. Jeff could do nothing to help. When he tried to speak, he found no voice. It was if some unseen hand held his throat, squeezing whenever he tried to speak. When he tried to move, his muscles refused to obey. Whatever was to happen, unless he could summon enough power to overcome whatever was holding him, Nabiki would be on her own. "Child, would you care for this man?" asked the first voice. "Hai!" Nabiki answered, her voice tinged with fear but still strong and clear. "Would you protect him?" "Hai!" "Would you... die for him?" came the third voice, harsher than the others. Before she could answer, Jeff momentarily broke through the force that controlled his voice. "NO!" his cry echoed throughout the chamber. "I will not..." The force that had silenced him earlier returned ten fold and Jeff grimaced under the pressure. Beads of sweat from his exertion now running freely down his face. "The question is hers!" the voice boomed, clearly irritated at Jeff's interruption. "Answer, child." Nabiki stumbled before she could answer. Something held her back. Perhaps it was only the last vestiges of her materialistic self. Perhaps she had never considered having to commit to such a proposition. She loved him, yes; but sacrificing her own life was another matter. The voice had demanded an answer and Nabiki was frantically searching for the words, any words. "She fails to answer." the third voice crowed. "She is not suitable." Panicked, Nabiki instinctively felt to her chest. It was still there. With a look a fear and apprehension, she reached under her blouse and produced a small amulet. Holding it as far from her as she could without removing the chain from her neck, she presented it to the unseen voices. "This is the mark of the clan of the Cold Moon." she began her voice small and frightened. "It belonged to my mother. I... I claim birthright in this clan." She shouted at the darkness still holding the tiny silver amulet. She didn't know if such would protect her or not, but it was all she had left. She had found the amulet in some of her mother's things soon after her death. At first, she kept it because it looked valuable and she was determined to have it for herself. But it quickly took on another meaning when she had the crest examined by an expert on ancient Japanese jewelry. It was an ancient clan marking, a shinobi clan. But this discovery carried another mystery. Try as she might, she could find nothing recent on the clan, its existence, or even if there were any survivors. For all she knew, the amulet might have been given to her mother. If not, it spoke volumes about her mother and meant that her mother was clan-bound to the Clan of the Cold Moon, a mysterious shinobi mountain clan not spoken of in over 400 years. Bluff or real, Nabiki was determined to play it to the hilt. "This would change everything." the first voice finally said slowly. "The clan mark is true. She is who she claims to be." the second observed. "She is *not* true clan!" the third insisted. "She must prove herself." There was more silence as the voices considered what to do. Perhaps it was the elders' preoccupation that released Jeff's mystic muzzle, whatever the cause, Jeff found himself able to speak again. "Nabiki, you never told me of this." Jeff demanded. "I was afraid you wouldn't understand, at first." she admitted. "Then I found out about you and feared... I hid it because I was afraid... of what it might do... to us." Jeff just lowered his head and smiled painfully. "I wouldn't have cared. I love you, Nabiki. Nothing can change that." As Jeff looked at her again, their eyes met and an understood bond between them was reenforced. Nabiki noticed the room began to fade into darkness. "I love you, Jeff-chan!" Nabiki yelled as she lost sight of her fianc=82. "We shall see." came the third voice from the gathering darkness. It seemed to be coming from everywhere. "We shall see." When her vision cleared, Nabiki found herself standing in a park, surrounded by playing children and mothers preparing their picnic meals. Nabiki turned slowly, taking in the familiarity of it all. The smells, the sounds, she had been here before... long, long ago. "Nabiki." came a small, insistent voice at her side accompanied with a hand tugging her skirt. "Nabiki, come with me. I want to find some duck eggs." A little girl who looked exactly like... Akane when she was 5 years old took her hand and started pulling her towards the small lake. "I'm gonna hatch the eggs and have baby ducks all my own." the girl quipped. "Nabiki, honey, don't be gone long. Your lunch will be ready soon." Nabiki froze, jerking the younger girl to a stop, at the sound of the woman's voice. Slowly, scared to even breathe, she turned her head and mouthed the word: "Okaasan?" "And try to keep little Akane out of the lake this time. I don't want to use all our drinking water to clean her up again." the woman sighed as she continued to unpack her picnic basket. "Okaasan?...Mother?" Nabiki asked a little louder this time. "If you're not coming, I'll go myself." pouted Akane as she released her older sister's hand and took off towards the lake. "What is it Nabiki?" asked the young girl next to her mother. "Is there something wrong?" "Kasumi, I..." Nabiki sucked in hard as she realized she knew this place, these people. She should be only 6 or 7 years old. This couldn't be happening. She looked around frantically for Jeff. "What's the matter, dear?" her mother asked with a slight tilt of her head. "Did you lose something?" "I...I thought you died. Yes, you're dead. I'm sure of it." Nabiki said holding her head and shaking it trying to clear the confusion from her. Suddenly, she was unsure of what was real and what was illusion. She remembered the night her mother died; the commotion, the overwhelming sadness. She remembered listening to all the mourning until she couldn't take it anymore. Disappearing to a crawlspace under their neighbor's house so she could cry without being seen or heard; how she pounded the dirt with her fists for hours trying to make the hurt go away. How she hated her mother for leaving before she had a chance to say the things in her heart. How she hated herself for not saying those things sooner. She remembered the funeral and how she alone remained hard-faced, determined to show everyone she could take it, no matter how bad it was; how she vowed to never allow anyone to hurt her again. How she since dealt with others, even her own family, without care as to who got hurt or what got damaged. All that mattered was that *she* benefited. Did it all really happen? Was *this* really happening? "I know, dear. And you're right." the woman sighed. "In life, each of us must forge our own afterlife. We must pick that which has the most meaning to us; a place or a selection of people. When the time comes, we move on to inhabit that which we created. This is the afterlife I fashioned for myself." The woman turned to the girl kneeling next to her. "Kasumi, would you go see to little Akane. Try to keep her out of trouble, won't you?" Little Kasumi readily agreed and scampered off after her wayward little sister. Nabiki followed the passing of her 'older' sister, her mouth trying to form words that were passing through her brain at the speed of light. "I guess we need to talk, Nabiki." her mother said quietly. "Mother, why didn't you tell me about your shinobi background?" Nabiki was, as always, direct and to the point; even if she wasn't entirely sure what the point was. "Yes, I feared you would grow up this way." her mother said shaking her head sadly. "Much too direct for a proper Japanese woman. You'll never get a husband like that, daughter. You must learn to speak properly." This brought back all the irritations Nabiki ever had with her mother. Be a proper lady. Learn to be deferential to men. Practice to become a good wife. All the things she used to bitterly swallow when her mother was alive. Desperately, she fought back a wave of anger. "Mother, I've already got a fianc=82." Nabiki said with an irritated edge to her voice. One a lot like that which she used often with her mother before. "Yes, but he's not Japanese, is he?" again her mother was using that irritating condescending tone of voice that often caused Nabiki to want to run outside screaming. "Mother," Nabiki again tried to steer the conversation. "the clan." Her mother just sighed and paused for a few moments, looking past her middle daughter towards the lake. Finally, she shifted her gaze to take in Nabiki. Looking her daughter up and down, she smiled. "You have grown well, my daughter. So tall and beautiful. I'm glad to hear you have found a husband." This, while feeding some long neglected need of hers for her mother's approval, only frustrated her more. Her mother was still the perfect model of a Japanese woman; indirect but firm. God! Nabiki hated that. "Mother, please. I don't know just how much time I have here. Tell me about your relationship with this clan symbol." Nabiki held out the amulet she wore around her neck. Her mother examined it carefully and smiled again. "I had almost forgotten about that. I haven't seen it since I was a child." she said softly. "It is the symbol of my parents mountain clan." "Yes I know, mother." Nabiki was reliving every frustrated argument she ever had with her mother. "The Clan of the Cold Moon. But does this make me a member of your family's clan?" With a heavy sigh, her mother began her sad tale. She came from a poor mountain family, one of seven children. Her parents had avoided most of the terrible destruction the last war delivered on the rest of Japan. Her distant relatives in Tokyo were not so lucky. They lost both sons in combat and their only daughter to a bombing raid. As they were too old to have more children, their home and martial arts training center were in danger of passing out of the family. As the youngest daughter, Nabiki's mother was sent, still a very young child, to live with these relatives as their own daughter. When it came time to marry, a man with suitable martial arts skills was chosen; Soun Tendo. From the start, the gods must have been smiling on the young couple as they fell instantly in love. This was all the more amazing as most marriages of that era were loveless arranged matches that accomplished only the continuation of the male family's name. Her mother paused, staring off into space, a little smile creasing her face. "You really did love him, didn't you?" Nabiki asked softly. Her mother only nodded modestly. "And now you must prove your love for this shinobi fianc=82 of yours." "You...you know?" Nabiki was stunned. How much did her mother know of her life? Did she know of all the dark things she did to raise money for the family? Did she know of all the things Nabiki would spend an eternity regretting having done? The thought suddenly left her feeling small and vulnerable. "We...spirits of the afterlife," her mother struggled, as if she were fighting something to tell her daughter this. "Know all of the past and the present. I know of Ranma and Akane, of sweet Kasumi and her Dr. Tofu. I even know of every woman that has since caught the eye of your father." She paused and smiled happily at her middle daughter. "It matters not. Eventually, he will join me here and I will have an eternity to forgive him." "And the future?" Nabiki hesitantly asked, not really sure she wanted to know the answer. "No one knows the future, kitten" her mother answered with a smile. Nabiki's mind almost panicked. If she had any remaining doubts about this spirit, they were gone with the use of her mother's pet name for her. "Mama, " Nabiki paused, reaching out her had to touch her mother's. It was as warm and alive as she remembered it. "Am I really a blood member of the Clan of the Cold Moon?" "Yes, daughter." Her mother said with a slight tilt of her head. "You are clan bound." Delighted, Nabiki leaned forward and kissed her mother on the cheek (something she had never done). "Thank you, mother." Nabiki got up to leave but hesitated. There was one task remaining; something she had always regretted not doing before. Turning slowly towards he mother, she smiled painfully, her eyes watering, almost ashamed to meet her mother's gaze, and said in an almost little girl voice: "I love you, mama." "I know, Nabiki. You always had trouble expressing such things." Her mother lamented while smiling at her middle daughter. "But I always knew your love was there." The scene began to fade again. But not before Nabiki got to express her love for her mother one more time. As the faded away, Nabiki was left with the image of her mother's smile. It had been long in coming but worth it to know her mother was, at last, proud of her. Nabiki's warm feeling was quickly replaced with terror as a new scene materialized. If where she just came from was heaven, this place was, surely, the opposite. She was in a long cavern, perched on a narrow ledge no more than a foot wide. The wall of the cavern climbed vertically from the ledge only to disappear far above. Below her, however, lay the real terror. Perhaps 50 feet beneath her, an incandescently hot river of molten rock flowed freely towards an unseen terminus. As she looked down, she could feel the heat beating against the soft skin of her face, screaming its malevolence with every pulse and wave. Nabiki quickly pushed back against the rough rock surface, her arms spread wide looking for hand holds. Her breath came in gasps as she tried to fight the acrid atmosphere of the cavern for shreds of oxygen, only to be teased into giving up what she could find by coughing on the whiffs of poisonous fumes that haunted the area. She heard a small shower of rocks begin off to her left. Slowly, she turned her head to see the ledge disappear a few meters away around a bend in the cavern wall. More dislodged rocks announced the appearance of a human hand as it explored around the corner looking for a hand hold. For several seconds, Nabiki held her breath waiting to see who, first the hand, then the arm belonged to. With a small grunt, Jeff Lawrence won his way around the corner to face Nabiki. "Jeff, what...?" Nabiki asked as she tried to reach out to him with her closest hand. "I..I don't really know," he replied nervously as he inched his way towards Nabiki. "One moment I was in the cave with the elders and the next I was clinging to his ledge for life." A slight earth tremor caused the two to link hands and hug the wall a little tighter. "We can't get out back that way," Jeff indicated with his head the way he had just come. "Let's try working further along your direction. Maybe the ledge gets wider there." With that, they set out inching their way along the narrow ledge, stopping frequently to rest. Quietly, Nabiki was glad Jeff was there. She felt safer with him around. At least, she wasn't facing this alone. That all ended at one stop, a violent earth tremor caused part of the thin ledge to crumble away, dumping Nabiki, screaming, towards the fiery doom below. Jeff's hand shot out with determined speed and caught Nabiki by her right wrist, securing himself with a finger hold in a small crack in the cavern wall with his other. There Nabiki dangled, grasping with both hands Jeff's arm while frantically kicking at the side of the cliff, searching for some toe hold she could use. With every attempt, she only dislodged more loose rocks and dirt, never finding the desperately sought after irregularity that could spell the difference between life and death. "Hold on!" Jeff grunted, the strain of holding Nabiki's dead weight sending a searing pain up his arm and across his chest. It felt like all the muscles in his torso were being pulled violently away from their anchorages. "Jeff?" Nabiki cried, her grip on his arm sliding from the sweat both produced. One of her shoes was knocked off her foot and plunged towards the molten river below. Nabiki watched in horror as her shoe hit the surface of the stream and exploded into flames. The same fate awaited her should she be unable to regain the ledge. Jeff wasn't going to be able to hold on to her forever. Forever. She looked at Jeff's face; his tear stained cheeks and clenched teeth from the strain of holding Nabiki, his solidly set jaw of determination. It was then she realized the truth. She thought, almost calmly. Perhaps it was her Japanese acceptance of death. Maybe, seeing her mother's afterlife affected her thoughts. Whatever the case, she made her decision. To Jeff, she suddenly turned from grasping desperately at his arm to twisting violently in an attempt to slip from his grasp. "What are you doing!?!" Jeff yelled in shock. "Are you crazy?!?" Nabiki stopped her struggling long enough to look Jeff in his clear blue eyes. Something in her expression told him everything he needed to know. "NO!" he yelled in desperation. "I won't let you do it!" He valiantly tried to readjust his grip on her wrist but their combined sweat made such impossible. Whatever she tried, he was *not* going to let her kill herself for him. Almost calmly, she said: "I'm sorry, Jeff. I love you." and began to claw his wrist with her free hand. Bloody gauges left by her fingernails oozed and dripped blood down past the dangling girl to announce her eventual sacrifice to the molten river below. The pain in Jeff's arm increased to the breaking point. Jeff, too, knew the end was near. He was losing his grip at both ends. He had only seconds to decide. "Nabiki," he said calmly. "I'm sorry..." With that, he released his grip on the cave wall, sending the both of them tumbling towards the flaming river below. Nabiki could feel the heat build until a blinding flash assigned her to a cool darkness. For several minutes, she just lay there, eyes closed, feeling herself breathe. she thought. But the familiar smells of the original cavern and the cool smoothness of the cave floor, combined with the shooting pain in her right arm and shoulder assured her she was very much alive. With a painful groan, her whole right side was in agony when she tried to move, she rolled over to look at Jeff. He was still kneeling on the pillow as before, his head down and eyes closed as if asleep. His left arm hung limply down by his side. Still visible on his wrist and hand were the bloody scratches made by Nabiki during her struggle. She swallowed hard and tried to sit up. Grimacing at the pain in her arm, she finally made it to a sitting position. Looking around, she noted that nothing had changed. They were still alone and trapped. Anger and frustration quickly built in her. Emotionally, she was near the snapping point. "You have done well" came the first voice from the darkness. "You proved you were willing to die for our young clan member." the second observed. "But the prophecy.." started the third. "...HAS BEEN FULFILLED!" Nabiki roared, gaining her feet. She had no idea what the elders were talking about but she was so angry now she didn't care. She had won and that's all that mattered to her. Her arm still hurt like hell but she was beyond angry and that made the pain bearable. "I, Nabiki Tendo, claim my birthright as a full member of the Clan of the Cold Moon. You cannot deny me further. And I WILL marry this man!" She shuffled towards Jeff, her whole body actually shaking with rage. she thought. As if out of nowhere, Master Sato appeared between Nabiki and Jeff. "Get out of my way, old man." she growled. "We are leaving *now*." "I quite agree." was all he said as the room appeared to grow black again. Nabiki lost her footing and fell against the venerable shinobi master. He caught her before she could collapse on the floor and held her as a grandfather would hold his youngest granddaughter. At first she tried to wrench herself free but the pain in her arm reminded her of the foolishness of such a move. Moments later, they were back in the sun, exactly where they were when all this began. Jeff was laying unconscious on his side, Nabiki kneeling next to him. Master Sato just sat calmly on a large rock nearby puffing on an old pipe, as if nothing at all had happened. Nabiki eyed him suspiciously as she painfully reached out to touch Jeff's body. "He will recover." Master Sato calmly said between puffs. "He has been trained by the best, namely me." He flashed a satisfied grin Nabiki's way. "Besides, he still has to marry Nabiki Tendo, clan daughter." Nabiki wasn't sure but she got the feeling he was mocking her. She didn't much like being mocked. "How much of that was real?" she asked leveling her most menacing look at the old man. "A wise man once said: The power of intention, guided by the altered perception that sees no obstruction, can create its own realities." He paused as if to catch Nabiki's reaction. "Such seem to transcend the dictates of conventional natural laws. In short, reality is that which you believe in strong enough." Nabiki stared at the old shinobi master with a mixture of loathing and respect. He was everything Jeff said he was... and was not. Clearly, a force to be reckoned with. "Nabiki Tendo," the old man said as he shifted positions to face her. "Your mother gave you more than life and a trinket to wear around your neck." Nabiki's hand instinctively went to feel for the amulet bearing her clan crest at her throat. For better or worse, she was now fully involved in the shinobi clans. She thought briefly of her encounter with the spirit of her dead mother and marveled at how well her mother bore such a load. It was then, Nabiki decided she could, at least, do the same. "Did you ever wonder just why you were so successful in your business dealings?" he asked slyly. In no hurry to answer, Nabiki turned to Jeff to see if he was all right. His deep, regular breathing told her Master Sato was correct, he would recover. Seeing his hand was still bleeding slightly, she tore a section of her skirt away, grimacing at the pain such an action caused her arm, not to mention the thought of destroying an expensive skirt, and started wrapping Jeff's wounds. "I was *damn* good, that's why." she said, a harsh edge to her voice. "Actually, you had an unfair advantage over your business associates." the old man calmly assumed a traditional shinobi position of meditation. "What are you babbling about, old man?" "A shinobi woman can give only a part of her clan skills to each of her children. Only when a shinobi man fathers those children can they achieve their full potential and become shadow warriors." Nabiki stopped bandaging Jeff's hand and stared at Master Sato. Something in what he just said made perfect sense. She *could* remember being so in control of some of her business dealings it was as if she was pulling the other's strings like a puppet. "That's right," the old man laughed. "You got the foresight that a shadow warrior needs to avoid traps and detect opponents weaknesses." "And my sisters?" she asked, her head cocked slightly. "Your older sister got the power of loyalty and compassion; qualities that bind a shadow warrior to the clan. Your younger sister got the reflexes and determination that makeup a warrior's power." he crossed his arms and closed his eyes in concentration. "You see? All three of you are special." he paused. "It's a pity about you and the prophecy." "What *is* this 'prophecy' you keep talking about?" Nabiki finished bandaging Jeff's wounds and painfully shifted her position. The old man took a deep breath and slowly let it out before answering. "Four hundred years ago a powerful Mikkyo monk, student of the great Saicho, took up temporary residence in a mountain cave not far from our village while seeking the enlightenment of our people's 'kuji goshin ho', our 'nine-syllable protection method'. One day, when some women from the village were bringing the monk his rice, they discovered him gone and his cave sealed. Our people searched throughout our clan territories but found no trace of him. All they ever found was his empty rice bowl and a small leather bag containing a single scroll. On that scroll was a prophecy in the monk's handwriting: In 400 years, a great calamity would befall our peaceful village. Only the intervention of an outsider, a 'gaijin', would save us and our way of life. It went on to claim that only 'he who is of our protector's legacy and clan wed' can open the monk's cave and ...'bring about peace where there was none'." Master Sato paused while Nabiki absorbed just what he had revealed. "It also hinted of a great secret buried inside the cave, something of great spiritual enlightenment. Some interpreted that to mean something that would make one the most powerful shadow warrior ever seen." He paused with a far away look. "Many tried to open the cave; all failed and paid with their lives. It was if the spirits themselves were protecting the secret. So you see, little one, only he of the prophecy can ever hope to enter the cave." "And 'clan wed' is where I come in." Nabiki said still looking like she distrusted the old man. "Not so, little one. This should not concern you as you are not of our clan." "I hate to disagree, but were not the words: 'of clan wed'?" Nabiki, long accustomed to the intricacies of contracts, was handling this like a sensitive business deal; dotting all the I's and crossing all the t's. "What?" Master Sato stopped and stared at Nabiki. "Don't you see? I could very well be the one the monk meant." Nabiki tiredly leaned forward as she spoke. "The words never mentioned *which* clan he would wed. Just that he would wed one from a clan." Master Sato sat silently for a few moments considering her words. Slowly a smile crept across his weathered face. "What clan did you clam birthright?" "My mother's clan; the Clan of the Cold Moon." There was a long pause as Master Sato fit all the pieces together. A smile spread slowly over his face. "Of course! Absolutely brilliant!" Master Sato finally said, slapping his knee. "I don't understand why I didn't see it before. "Now you lost me." Nabiki said holding her sore arm. "You were wise to conceal your clan heritage at first, little one. Elsewise, your husband-to-be would have been honor bound to take your life." "Huh?" Nabiki's eyes went wide with surprise. She had checked all such things carefully and found no blood feuds between her mother's clan and Jeff's for the last two hundred years. "What are you talking about? There is no feud between your clan and mine." The old man just chuckled softly to himself. "The feud I speak of is over 400 years old and involves more than just our two clans. Members of your clan aligned themselves with a powerful warlord to finish his war against the shinobi people. For their treachery, the members of your clan were 'blood hunted', outcasts among all shinobi everywhere, hunted to extinction. This was far more than a simple inter-clan squabble. It was a genocidal hunting of a people. I suspect your mother was sent to live with distant relatives for more reasons than to help out family members in trouble. They could have been hiding a fertile female clan member among an outsider family to escape detection." "Then...I'm also 'blood hunted'." Nabiki said, a trace of fear creeping into her voice. Realizing just what she had said and who she had said it to, slowly started sliding away from the old shinobi master. "Perhaps, little one." Master Sato said thoughtfully, then catching Nabiki's movement, added: "You no longer have anything to fear from me. You are pledged in marriage to a clan member; my adopted son. This gives you complete protection from both our clans. We can't kill you because of the prophecy and I suspect you are safe from your own clan; the few that remain." The old man sounded almost sad at that. "Brilliant, isn't it? Your marriage will fulfill the prophecy to the letter. It opens the cave while bringing peace to your people." "How?" "Don't you see? By taking you as a wife, Jeff-san will be binding our two clans. You and your people will then be under our protection. The feud will be over; all will be forgiven. After 400 years, peace will be restored where there was none. All as predicted." He laughed. "Prophecy?" Nabiki said marveling at the completeness of it all. "Prophecy, little one." the old shinobi master answered. "You are now more valuable than ever." Nabiki cautiously went to Jeff's side when he stirred. He may have been honor bound to kill her (if he even knew of the feud), but he proved he was willing to risk his life, even to the point of dying with her back in the cave. Besides, she still loved him. "Once you are wed, " the shinobi master advised. "You must return to Japan as soon as possible. I do not wish to alarm you, but there will be those who would do you harm. Not everyone has agreed with my adoption of your fiance. Some believe he is a mistake to be...corrected. We can better protect you and him on our native soil." He looked around like a dog sniffing for danger. "This paradise can prove... deceptive. I sense 'danger' from many angles. Beware, little one." "I will," Nabiki promised, then added: "Ojiisan" Master Sato chuckled again. "Grandpa, huh? Just make sure I become a 'grandpa', little one." Nabiki blushed at the suggestion and looked at Jeff's stirring form. They had never discussed children. Actually, she had never considered children of her own. She wasn't sure she liked the idea. Children put her off almost as much as old people. She reached for Jeff and grimaced noticeably at the pain it caused her arm and shoulder. "The powers of the elders can sometimes result in injuries, little one. You are in pain." the master said moving swiftly to Nabiki's side. Instinctively, she recoiled from his touch. She was not sure just how much to trust him. Still, he was bound by clan laws and, if he was correct, she had nothing to fear from his touch. "There are certain pressure points right here." he said calmly as his fingers pressed lightly under her right shoulder blade and near her spine. His fingers seemed to vibrate slightly for a second, then were gone. Almost as if someone had flipped a switch, her pains disappeared. Nabiki freely moved her arm, testing the results of Master Sato's treatment. "Almost as good as Dr. Tofu." she remarked. "Well, I'm not sure just how long it will last." he said with a smile. "It is a technique shadow warriors use to ease their pain in the field. You will probably be stiff and a little sore tomorrow. Just take two aspirin and call me in the morning." Nabiki shot him a curious look through narrowed eyes. "A little English humor." he said defensively. "I never did get a handle on English humor." He chuckled again as his shakujo staff reappeared as if by magic. With a wave of his hand, he set off down the road, humming. Nabiki recognized the tune. "I heard that." He called from the road. "You must learn some mental discipline, little one. We will work on that after the wedding." He turned again and, in moments, seemed to fade from sight, gone from her view. For several minutes, Nabiki was left to her own thoughts. She struggled to focus her concentration to hold on to the images she had recently seen. Like the mist in the morning sun, they were fading from her memory. She soon discovered that all she could remember were something about a cave and the image of her mother. Perhaps such images were never meant to be remembered in this plane of existence. She was determined to hold on to one image. Focusing all her energy, she imprinted the one image that meant the most to her; that of her mother and how she had pleased her after all these years. Satisfied she had secured that memory, caressed it repeatedly in her mind. Instinctively, she faced her homeland. Bowing deeply, she whispered: "Thank you, mother. I will not dishonor you or the name of your...our clan." Nabiki Tendo, child of the modern world, the one least likely to follow the traditions of her ancestors, had come full circle. She didn't know exactly why, but with open arms, she embraced that which she was; a descendant of thousands of years of tradition. Never again, would she laugh at the old customs or rituals. The ordeal left her without knowing why, the answers as to what they all meant and why they were important. Jeff woke with a jerk and frantically looked around. Quickly, Nabiki was at his side. "Easy, my love." she cautioned as he sat up. "What happened?" he asked looking around. "What do you remember?" "We were walking. Then we stopped." Jeff ran his hand over his head as he tried to sort out sights and sounds that seemed to scurry towards the dark corners of his mind like so many cockroaches. "The last thing I remember is holding you in my arms. After that..." He shook his head in frustration. Nabiki smiled and embraced her fianc=82 again. "Then that is all you *need* to remember." "Why is my hand wrapped with parts of your skirt?" "You had hurt your hand and..." she stared as Jeff unwound her crude bandage. She neglected to finish the sentence when she saw that his hand had almost completely healed. Only four pink lines remained where she had raked his hand with her fingernails. "Jeff-chan," Nabiki started looking around with a worried look on her face. "Let's go back to the church. I don't really feel very safe here." She helped him to his feet and the two started back up the hill. Along the way, he handed the torn strip of skirt she had used as a bandage back to her. "What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked incredulously. Jeff looked first at her skirt, then at her and answered: "Sew it back on?" Nabiki shot him a 'You've got to be kidding' look. "Maybe not." he sheepishly said retrieving the strip and wrapping it around his neck. "How about a neck tie? Khaki is a good color for me." Nabiki broke into uncontrolled laughter. The pressure of the last few hours finally breaking over her in waves of laughter. Her eyes watered as she laughed so hard Jeff was forced to carry her the rest of the way. Whatever really happened in the clearing below had changed both forever. "Sister, dear." Kuno's irritated voice carried through the bathroom door. "I hope you aren't going to remain in there for the entire morning. We have work to do, you know." "I know, my impetuous brother, but I must look good for my Ranma-chan." Kodachi replied calmly. Kuno yawned. Moments later, a perfectly attired and detailed Kodachi emerged from the bathroom, ready to start the hunt for her lovely Ranma. "Brother dear," she said as she got a look at her brother's attire. "Surely, you're *not* going out dressed like that." Kuno just looked down at his Bermuda shorts with knee socks and light knit shirt before asking: "What's wrong with my attire?" "Well, for one thing, we're going to break up a wedding, not a boy scout camp out. I would suggest something more...dressy." Kuno just scowled at his sister as he rummaged through his suitcase, holding up various pairs of slacks for her approval until she decided on suitable garments for him to change in to. Fifteen minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom for her inspection. By now, she was casually leafing through a phone book and couldn't care less what her brother was wearing. "You know, sister dear." Kuno said with a sneer. "Having to spend a night sleeping in the same room with you will probably scar me for life." "Oh I doubt it will do any lasting damage," she responded while idly leafing through the yellow pages. "You're already about as warped as you can get." "You do know, I despise you." "Like I care?" Figuring that bickering with his sister was getting him nowhere fast, Kuno changed the subject. "I don't suppose you've given any thought as to just how we are going to find the Saotome-Tendo wedding?" "Actually, I have, my hopelessly romantic brother." she held up a morning edition of the local newspaper. "And just where did you acquire this little guide to the local culture?" "Some simpleton left it on the floor outside the room across the hall. As we have the greater need, I felt justified in taking it." she yawned, not used to getting up so early during school vacation. "You stole it." her brother corrected. "Such an ugly word, brother dear." Kodachi sniffed. "Nevertheless, I have solved our problem. Inside this paper, is a listing of all the weddings taking place anywhere in the city." "They publish such things in a public newspaper?" Kuno gasped. "How vulgar these Americans be." "In any case, we shall quickly know the location of the Saotome-Tendo wedding." Kodachi eagerly opened the paper and started scanning it page by page. Having attended a private catholic girls school, her abilities at reading English were far better than her brother's. Still, there were many gaps in her skills, some potentially disastrous. Thirty minutes later, she flung the entire newspaper from her in disgust. "I can't believe it." she moaned. "Dozens of weddings and none for a Saotome or a Tendo." "Perhaps, sister, they were going to be married privately." Kuno suggested from his seat in front of the windows. Secretly, he was celebrating his sister's failure, in spite of the fact it left them still in the dark. "Could they have spelled their names wrong? We are dealing with journalists here, not the brightest life forms on Earth." "Or maybe they have disguised their identities in an anagram or some other falsehoods knowing just how many wish to stop such a union." Kodachi was slipping deeper into her own brand of paranoia. To her, everyone had as twisted a mind as her own. All things were possible, even if they were ridiculous. While Kodachi busied herself with trying to manufacture an appropriate wedding announcement from those listed, Kuno idly rummaged through a small desk over by the windows. "Sister, dear." he crowed holding up his discovery. "I believe I hold the solution in my hands." Kodachi was used to her brother's 'solutions' and cast him a wary look. In his hand, written in Japanese, was a hotel guide for the Japanese business traveler. She quickly replaced her wary look with one of pure skepticism. "And just how will such a document assist us?" she asked sarcastically. "Just observe and learn how a Kuno handles such things." Kuno said smugly as he dialed the phone number listed on the front of the guide. Quickly a Japanese voice answered. "Yes, and ohayo to you as well. I'm Tatewaki Kuno, head of Kuno Industries of Nerima, I have need of you 'business traveler services' listed in the hotel guide." Kodachi just wrinkled her pretty nose at her brother's brazenness. "Yes, I wish for you to get me a list of all the weddings being held in this city for, say, the next week. What's that? Yes, I just need to know the church and the time. Thank you." Hanging up the phone, Kuno arrogantly looked down his nose at his sister. She, however, was only shaking her head. "What?" he asked. "You idiot." she sighed. "If we only get the name of a church and the time of a wedding, how will we know who's wedding is taking place?" Kuno just blinked several times and stared at his scowling sister. She was right, of course, but there was no way he was going to acknowledge he made a mistake. He was looking at more than loss of face here. "We will simply have to go to each and check on the wedding in progress." he stated flatly. This was *his* plan and no stupid sister was going to derail it. "Fine!" she growled as she started tearing the listings of churches from the phone book. "And just why, pray tell, are you defacing hotel property, sister dear?" Kuno asked with crossed arms. "Since you didn't see fit to ask for the addresses either, we will have to match up the name's of the churches using this directory." she spit in his direction. "Then, all we will have to do is get in a cab and point to the address we want to go to." "I can see some of my brilliance has rubbed off on you, sister dear." Kuno was getting too smug for even his demented sister to handle. "Are you sure you can spare any?" she mumbled as he turned to look out of the window again. It was late morning when Ranma-chan stumbled into the hotel lobby. Looking like someone who had slept under a toilet, she walked purposely towards the elevator. All eyes stared as she entered the first elevator car available and stared down anyone who tried to get on with her. All the while, she repeatedly pulled up the front of her shirt every time it flopped open to expose her breasts. This was, obviously, a person who has had a bad night. Her hotel key in hand, she rode the elevator back to her floor and a hot shower. Nabiki and the girls were riding in another rented limousine on their way back from the airport. This time, Jeff saw to it the driver spoke, at least, a little Japanese. They had gone to pick up the rest of the wedding party, Yuka and Sayuri. Unlike Nabiki, who was looking at unlimited choices for college, her former business associates had to remain behind for a few weeks to take the infamous National College Entrance Exam. Nabiki excitedly talked with them about their successes and which college they should choose. Naturally, Nabiki had assumed she would easily have passed the exam so felt most comfortable in dispensing advice. Whatever Yuka and Sayuri might have thought about such presumption, they kept to themselves. Akane and Kasumi could only listen in quietly; Kasumi because she never took the test and had no experience at choosing a Japanese college and Akane because she was still a year away from taking it. Besides, since the disappearance of Ranma, Akane was less talkative than usual. Even Nabiki, who ordinarily couldn't resist needling her sister, was most circumspect in dealing with her. It might have been because of Kasumi's warning or because of what Nabiki, herself, went through just the day before. In any case, Akane was less fun to be around than usual. Even the prospect of doing some 'power' shopping with Nabiki's new 'Gold' credit card that Jeff got her, didn't arouse much excitement in Akane. Somewhere up in the hills surrounding Honolulu, two old farmers were rocking away on their front porch. A fancy 'boom box' type radio was sitting on the table between them playing 'easy listening' music. "Say, Fred, do you think they ever captured those escaped pandas from the zoo?" the first farmer asked as he spit out a stream of tobacco juice. "Can't rightly say, Willard. Ain't heard the news today." his companion replied yawning. "I wonder just what one of those panda critters look like." "Saw a picture once. Right cute little critter." "Shush, Willard. The news is coming on." "And in local news. Officials from the Honolulu Zoo announced the successful recapture of both of the escaped Chinese pandas last night." the radio announcer droned. "The two pandas are healthy and glad to be back in captivity." Just then a large panda wandered up the road heading for the local sugar cane field. Both farmers just continued to rock slowly and listen to the radio announcer go on about how the danger is over and no further pandas were still free. "You know what, Williard?" "What's that, Fred?" "Either that's the biggest damn spotted dog in the world or that announcer fella's a liar." "Yup, I speck so." With that, Fred reached over, grabbed a baseball bat and smashed the radio to bits. "Damn lying piece of Japanese crap. Did I ever tell you of the time we had to sandbag the beaches to keep those dirty Japs from invading?" "A hundred times, Fred. What do ya thing we oughta do about the big spotted dog?" "I dunno. Get a collar and leash?" Kuno and Kodachi started out on their great 'wedding busting' crusade. Armed with a list of potential Akane/Ranma weddings, the dynamic duo piled into a local taxi cab, pointed to an address and rumbled off to battle. The first wedding was already underway when the pair arrived. "Now, brother dear." Kodachi said looking over the parking lot carefully. "We don't want to do this the wrong way. I'll check around to see if this is the correct wedding. You wait here." To his credit, Kuno actually waited until his sister entered the building before doing something stupid. Hearing the sounds of 'The Wedding March' being played on an organ, he panicked and bolted for the front doors. Bursting inside, he pushed his way past the ushers and into the church itself, screaming for the wedding to stop. Unfortunately, he was screaming in Japanese (no one understood him), it was the wrong wedding (the bride and groom were two nice, young but hopelessly white people), and the ushers were each much larger than he was (this was gonna hurt). Grabbed by no fewer than four muscular ushers, Kuno was hauled to the front doors and used in a world record attempt at 'putting-the-screaming-Japanese-jerk' competition. Close but the Russian judge only gave them a 7.5 in the style category. Landing face down, Kuno didn't see the approach of his sister. However, something in the way the atmosphere changed told him she was near. "Couldn't wait like you were told, could you, my impetuous brother." Kodachi said as she bent over his body. "I told you I would handle this." "I told you I would handle this," Kuno mimicked from a face down position. "By the time you get around to checking on just who is getting married, the loving couple will have two children." Kodachi, not used to being told off by her brother twice in the same day, used a large rock on his head to make sure he understood that she was slightly miffed. "That hurt, sister dear." he mumbled calmly as he tried to pull his face out of the turf. "Just for that, I will carry on the search alone." "Fine," she barked grabbing the list from him, tearing it in half and tossing the lower half back onto his body. "You do your search and I'll do mine." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed off. Kuno finally extracted himself from the soft earth and, rubbing his head where Kodachi nailed him with the rock, looked at the part of the list she had left him. Ranma-chan slowly drug her weary body down the hall towards her room. As luck would have it, Jeff was just exiting his room and passed the glowering red-head. "Ohaiyo Ranma." he said politely as he walked by. "RANMA?!?" Running back to catch up with the still irritated best-man in female form, Jeff started with the usual questions. "Where, the hell, have you been?! Everybody has been worried sick about you." "I don't want to talk about it." "And where's your father?" "I don't want to talk about it." "Not only that, you missed the wedding rehearsal and Akane is spitting mad." Apparently, the use of Akane's name right then was not the wisest choice of words. With a move only Ranma could do, he grabbed Jeff by the throat and backed him against the wall. "Perhaps, I was just being a bit selfish with that last remark. If you could just move your thumb, I would like to breathe again. If you don't mind." Jeff was back to his helium voice, his eyes bugging out. Ranma released him but continued to give a warning look that could match anything Akane had in her arsenal. Rubbing his throat and making sure everything still worked, Jeff noticed Ranma-chan's top had flopped open again. "Would you fix that please." he said waiving a free hand at her chest. "I've been controlling my libido with cold showers for three days and the last thing I need right now is to be face to face with a pair of those." Still glaring at Jeff, Ranma-chan fixed the front of her shirt again. "Look, I've got a one o'clock appointment to get fitted for my tux." Jeff said looking at his watch. "If you shower and change, your clothes I mean, we can both get fitted at the same time and save you a trip later. Okay?" "Very well." Ranma-chan said exhaustedly. "Just give me a few minutes and I'll meet you in the lobby." "And pitch those clothes, they smell like you slept on the floor of a toilet." Jeff called after her. Ranma-chan just hung her head in resignation. she thought with disgust. Nabiki led her little entourage into Mr. Moto's Wedding Shop. She was in the market for the most beautiful wedding dress possible and bridesmaids dresses for the rest. Mr. Moto had no idea what *he* was in for. Two hours later, a shaking and sweating Mr. Moto had fitted all in the most expensive outfits he had. It wasn't the fitting that had the poor man so out of sorts. It was the bargaining job done on him by the bride-to-be. In short, *she* had taken *him* to the cleaners. "Nabiki, I read that it's a custom in the West for a bride to get married with four traditional things; old, new, borrowed, and blue." Yuka chirped as she casually fingered the dress Nabiki had picked out. "Neat." Sayuri clapped her hands. "It's like a game." Kasumi liked games and was about to join in when she noticed Akane sitting alone by the door. She looked like someone who just lost her best friend. Slipping over next to her, Kasumi reached down and patted Akane on the arm. "He'll be all right." she insisted. "You've got to have faith." Akane looked up at her big sister. "How can you be so sure?" she asked almost in tears. "I *know* things, remember?" Kasumi smoothed her sister's hair. "I've never been able to understand just why, but at times..." she smiled at Akane. "He's all right." Akane smiled weakly and held her sister's hand for a few moments. "Okay, Oneechan. I'll believe you. I just hope he'll show up soon." "He will, Akane." Kasumi put her arm around her little sister and helped her to her feet. "Now, let's go play Yuka's little game and make your sister, Nabiki, happy." Akane nodded shyly and they joined the others. "Okay," Yuka summed up. "You'll wear my class pin; that's blue. And Sayrui's charm bracelet; that's the borrowed. Of course, the dress is the new. But what about the old?" Yuka struck a contemplative pose. Nabiki's hand instinctively went to her mother's clan amulet around her throat. She was about to suggest something when Kasumi interrupted. "I have something, very old for you." She dug through her purse and produced a small silver tube no more than six inches in length. Curved slightly, it appeared to have two parts that were beautifully carved. "What is it?" Nabiki asked as she fingered it's surface. "It belonged to your mother and is *very* old." Kasumi paused watching Nabiki's reaction. "It was worn by your mother when she got married." Yuka and Sayuri crowded closer to examine the object. In the light of the shop, the silver surface seemed to sparkle as it was turned. "It's a 'promise tanto'." Kasumi finally revealed as she pulled the two ends apart to reveal a tiny silver handled tanto. "What's it for?" Nabiki asked with raised eyebrows. A knife at a wedding seemed slightly out of place, even for a Tendo wedding. "It's not used much any more." Kasumi sighed. "But for hundreds of years Japanese brides wore them on silver chains so they hung down between their breasts. Every movement would cause the cold silver to touch the bride's breast bone lightly reminding her of her promise." "What promise?" Akane asked, now fully involved in the group's activities. "It's the ultimate pledge by a Japanese bride." Kasumi smiled like she was revealing a long lost secret. "Should she ever dishonor her husband or fail him in any major way, she was to use the blade to take her own life." The other girls gasped at the thought. Only one or two generations removed from su